Toronto is warning Fort York and Liberty Village residents to expect local-access road restrictions, heavier crowds and transit changes tied to FIFA World Cup 2026 events.
Toronto’s FIFA World Cup 2026 activity will begin affecting Fort York and Liberty Village residents on Wednesday, June 10, with road restrictions in the Fort York neighbourhood scheduled from 6 p.m. to midnight.
The City of Toronto says access during that period will be local only for residents and businesses in the area bounded by Bathurst Street to Strachan Avenue, and Fleet Street to Fort York Boulevard. The restrictions coincide with the FIFA Countdown Concert, scheduled for 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., ahead of the FIFA Fan Festival Toronto opening run.
The city is advising residents and business owners to expect higher-than-normal pedestrian volumes throughout the neighbourhood as World Cup programming begins. FIFA Fan Festival Toronto is scheduled to operate on 22 days from June 11 to July 19, with the June 10 countdown concert as an opening-night event.
Toronto is also planning for six match days at Toronto Stadium: June 12, June 17, June 20, June 23, June 26 and July 2. On those days, vehicle traffic will be significantly limited, and road closures are scheduled to begin five hours before each match and end three hours after the match, or sooner if conditions allow.
The city says it is taking a transit-first approach during the tournament period and is encouraging public transit, walking and cycling as the best ways to travel. TTC service changes are scheduled from June 7 to July 24 along key streetcar, bus and subway routes, including service in the Fort York and Liberty Village area, to help move larger crowds.
On Toronto match days, temporary changes are planned near Exhibition Place for the 509 Harbourfront and 511 Bathurst streetcars. After matches, some stops will be skipped to help manage crowd movement, including eastbound 509 stops between the Fleet Street hub and Bathurst/Queens Quay, and northbound 511 stops between the Fleet Street hub and King Street West.
GO Transit is also expected to increase service and add staff, especially on the six match days. The city says Lakeshore West and East trains will run more frequently, every 15 minutes for much of the day starting June 10, with additional trains during peak match periods.
Local access passes are being introduced for people who live or work in Fort York and Liberty Village. The city says resident passes are to be distributed through condo and property managers, while business passes are to be distributed through business improvement areas.
Parking rules will also change during the tournament period. The city says on-street paid parking will be temporarily unavailable from June 10 to July 19 on several major streets, including parts of King Street West, King Street East, Dundas Street West and Wellington Street East, as well as streets in east Liberty Village.
Residents, workers and visitors are being urged to plan trips around match-day closures, Fan Festival operations and higher pedestrian volumes. The city has also directed people looking for public programming beyond the matches and Fan Festival to the Toronto 26 Events calendar.
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