Toronto is in the middle of the biggest tourism event in its history, and most local businesses have no plan to capture it.

The city is hosting six FIFA World Cup matches between June 12 and July 2, with Toronto Stadium expecting more than 45,000 spectators per match and up to 20,000 people attending the Fan Festival at Fort York on operational days. Destination Toronto expects out of town visitors to make up over half of ticket sales for the games. FIFA has estimated the tournament could generate close to 940 million dollars in economic output for the Greater Toronto Area.

That is real, measurable foot traffic flowing through Toronto's downtown core right now. The question for any local business is simple. Are you visible to it, or are you letting it walk past.

The Window Is Smaller Than It Looks

This matters because the opportunity has a hard deadline. Toronto's match window closes July 2. After that, the tournament moves on and the city's tourism surge tapers off, even though the broader economic and brand benefits to Toronto are expected to last years.

For a Toronto business, that means the next few weeks are the highest foot traffic period the city will see this decade. Restaurants, retail, hospitality, and entertainment businesses that show up now are capturing visitor spending that will not come back around until the next major event, if ever.

The businesses already moving on this are seeing it directly. One downtown restaurant manager told Global News they had a lineup before lunch on a day the match did not even start until 3pm. That is the kind of demand most Toronto businesses spend a full marketing budget trying to manufacture, and it is currently happening for free outside their door.

Where the Foot Traffic Actually Is

Understanding where World Cup crowds move through Toronto is the key to capturing them.

Toronto Stadium at Exhibition Place. This is where the actual matches are played, with capacity north of 45,000 per game.

Fort York and The Bentway. This is the official FIFA Fan Festival location, expecting up to 20,000 visitors on operational days for free, ticketless viewing and programming.

The Entertainment District, King West, and downtown core. This is where the real commercial opportunity sits for most businesses. Visitors who cannot get match tickets or Fan Festival access, plus the thousands who attend and then look for somewhere to eat, drink, and continue the experience afterward, flow directly into this corridor. Bars and restaurants in this area are already preparing for it, with venues planning to screen matches and run game day promotions specifically to capture the overflow crowd.

Areas around Rogers Centre and Blue Jays Way. The Toronto Blue Jays are playing their regular MLB schedule at Rogers Centre throughout this exact window, meaning two major sporting audiences are converging on the same downtown core simultaneously. A visitor in Toronto for World Cup matches is statistically very likely to also walk past Rogers Centre on a game night, especially given the area's concentration of bars, restaurants, and hotels.

This is the practical takeaway. You do not need a ticket to the match or a booth at the Fan Festival to capture this traffic. You need visibility in the corridors where that traffic naturally flows before and after the actual games.

How Toronto Businesses Are Capturing the Surge

Restaurants and Bars

Toronto's hospitality sector is expected to see the most immediate impact from World Cup foot traffic. The businesses doing this well are running match day promotions, screening games, and updating their offerings daily based on the schedule. One bar manager told CBC News they are planning food and drink specials tied directly to match days, along with watch parties designed to give visitors a reason to choose their venue over a competitor's.

The opportunity here is short term and specific. A restaurant near the downtown core can run a one week promotional push timed to a specific match or knockout game, then update creative again for the next one.

Retail and Local Shops

Visitors clustering around event zones are also exploring nearby neighbourhoods, with areas like Little Italy and Kensington Market expected to see a noticeable uptick in foot traffic as tourists explore beyond the stadium itself. Retail businesses in these areas have a window to capture visitor spending that would not otherwise reach them.

Real Estate and Professional Services

This is a longer play. Toronto's increased global visibility during the tournament is expected to drive renewed interest in the city for years afterward, with tourism officials pointing to conventions, return visits, and relocation interest as long-term effects. Realtors and professional service businesses that build local brand visibility now are positioning for that longer tail of interest, not just the six week tournament window.

Why Digital Screens Are the Fastest Way to Capture This

Here is the practical problem most Toronto businesses face. Social media targeting takes days to set up properly and depends on visitors already following or searching for your business. A flyer campaign takes a week to print and distribute. Neither moves fast enough to match a six week tournament window with match dates changing every few days.

A digital screen does not have that lag.

HotCrowd operates screens on Queen Street West and Blue Jays Way, both inside the downtown corridor where World Cup overflow traffic, Blue Jays game day crowds, and regular foot traffic all converge. Here is what makes it the right tool for this specific moment.

Speed. Upload new creative today and it is live on a Toronto screen within 24 hours. If Canada wins a match and the city floods with celebratory energy that night, your business can have a relevant promotion live before the bars even close.

No production required. Your existing Instagram and TikTok content works directly on HotCrowd's screens. A simple video announcing a match day special or extended hours is enough.

Update as often as the schedule changes. Toronto hosts matches on five separate dates through July 2. A business can run a different promotion for each one without paying for new printing or a new agency booking each time.

Reach people already in the area, not people you have to find online. Visitors walking through Queen Street West or the King West corridor during this window are already physically present and already deciding where to spend the next few hours. A digital screen reaches them at the exact moment that decision is being made.

A Simple Plan for the Remaining Weeks

If you are a Toronto business owner reading this with matches still ahead, here is the fastest path to capturing what is left of this window.

This week. Update your Google Business Profile with current hours and any World Cup related promotions. This is free and takes 20 minutes.

Pick your match days. Toronto hosts matches through July 2. Identify which dates fall during your peak hours and plan a specific promotion for each one.

Get a digital screen live in your corridor. If your business sits near downtown, the Entertainment District, King West, or the Rogers Centre area, a HotCrowd screen campaign can be live within 24 hours, timed to the next match.

Update creative after each match. Win or lose, Canada's results will shift the mood of the city. A business that updates its messaging to match that mood, whether celebratory or a consolation offer, captures attention that a static campaign cannot.

This Is Bigger Than the Tournament

The honest long-term context matters here too. City officials and tourism leaders have been clear that the biggest return on hosting the World Cup will not come from the six weeks of matches themselves, but from the years of increased visibility, repeat visitation, and convention interest that follow. Toronto welcomed a record 28.2 million visitors in 2025 alone, and the global exposure from hosting World Cup matches is expected to compound that trend.

For a local business, that means the brand visibility you build during this window is not just about June and July. A digital screen presence established now, during the highest attention period the city has seen in years, builds recognition that carries into the months when conventions, return visitors, and word of mouth start arriving.

Get Your Business on Toronto's Screens Before the Next Match

Toronto's World Cup window closes July 2. The businesses capturing it are the ones moving now, not the ones waiting to see how it plays out.

View available Toronto screen locations →

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the World Cup happening in Toronto? Toronto is hosting six FIFA World Cup matches between June 12 and July 2, 2026, alongside the FIFA Fan Festival at Fort York running through July 19.

Where is the best place to advertise during the World Cup in Toronto? The downtown core, Entertainment District, King West, and areas around Rogers Centre and Blue Jays Way see the highest overflow foot traffic from visitors attending matches and the Fan Festival, plus the regular Blue Jays game day crowd running concurrently.

Do I need a big budget to advertise during the World Cup? No. HotCrowd's digital screen campaigns are designed for fast, flexible local advertising without agency fees or long-term contracts, making it accessible for small and medium-sized Toronto businesses during a short, high-value window.

How quickly can I get a promotion live for the next match? With HotCrowd, new creative can be live on a Toronto digital screen within 24 hours of upload, which is fast enough to update messaging between match days.

Will the World Cup benefit Toronto businesses after the tournament ends? Tourism officials expect the larger benefit to come in the months and years following the tournament, through increased global visibility, return visitors, and convention interest, in addition to the immediate foot traffic boost during the matches themselves.

HotCrowd is Toronto's self-serve digital out-of-home advertising platform. We connect local businesses with high-traffic digital screen locations across Ontario, with transparent pricing and no agency fees. hotcrowdadvertising.com