World Cup Begins The wait is finally over. The first ball of the 2026 World Cup will be kicked Thursday, ushering in 5 ½ weeks of competition across the United States, Canada and Mexico. It’s also opening day for Kansas City’s FIFA Fan Fest at the National World War I Museum and Memor ial—our first real test of whether we can handle the crowds, manage the traffic and safely host the biggest event this city has ever seen. Your World Cup Week at a Glance: Monday: Algeria is in town and begins training at its base camp at KU’s Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence. Defending champions Argentina flew into Kansas City last week, but the team has since left for friendly matches against Honduras in Texas and against Iceland in Alabama. Tuesday: The Dutch National team arrives, setting up shop at the new upscale Cascade Hotel near the Plaza, while training at the KC Current’s practice facility in Riverside. Thursday: The World Cup opens in Mexico City with host nation Mexico facing South Africa. You can watch the opening ceremonies and the tournament’s first match at Kansas City’s FIFA Fan Fest. Admission is free, but you’ll need to register here. Attendance is capped at 25,000 in hopes fans will also spill into local restaurants, bars and entertainment districts. Friday: Team USA opens its World Cup campaign against Paraguay in Los Angeles. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. The match will offer the first real indication of whether the Americans can make a deep tournament run on home soil—or face another early exit. You can watch the game live at Kansas City’s FIFA Fan Fest. Saturday: England’s famed Three Lions touch down in Kansas City. They’ll make the Inn at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village their home away from home while training at Swope Soccer Village. Next Tuesday: Kansas City finally gets its moment in the global spotlight. At 8 p.m., defending champion Argentina takes on Algeria at Kansas City Stadium—the temporary FIFA name for Arrowhead Stadium. Interesting Fact: Soccer purists may grumble, but for the first time in World Cup history, every match will include a three-minute “hydration break” in each half. FIFA says it’s to protect players from extreme heat. Critics say it’s about giving FIFA’s deep-pocketed sponsors a few more minutes to run their commercials. KCPBS World Cup Special KC Streetcar Expansion to North KC Is Kansas City’s streetcar line about to grow again? Streetcar officials and the Missouri Department of Transportation are hosting public meetings this week to detail plans for a $220 million extension line over the Missouri River into North Kansas City. The first open house is Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Cinder Block Brewery in North Kansas City. A second follows June 17, also from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at River Bluff Brewing in the City Market. Learn more about the study and the upcoming meetings on the project webpage. The northward push may be just the beginning of a new wave of expansions. Kansas City is also weighing up an east-west streetcar line that could reach into Kansas for the first time, linking the KU Medical Center to the VA Hospital, with multiple stops along the way, including the 18th Vine Jazz District. City leaders say the proposed route is currently in the advanced planning and environmental study phase. A Public Vote on New Royals Ballpark? A citizens group says it has gathered enough signatures to force a vote on the $600 million in public incentives for a proposed Royals ballpark at Crown Center. The activist group Missouri Workers Power says it collected 4,500 signatures in just two weeks, more than double the roughly 2,000 needed to trigger a citywide vote. The petitions head to election officials today for counting and verification. If enough signatures are validated, the City Council will have 60 days to act. What happens next — including whether residents are guaranteed a public vote — is a question the city clerk has referred to the city attorney’s office. The earliest any vote could happen is November. Mini-Booze Ban Takes Effect Those tiny liquor bottles at the checkout counter are disappearing from parts of Kansas City this week. The city’s contentious ban on miniature liquor bottles and single-serve beer cans officially takes effect today, two months after winning City Council approval. Missouri lawmakers tried to block the measure in Jefferson City but ran out of time before the legislative session ended. Now the fight has shifted to the courtroom. Liquor store owners have filed suit, arguing the ban is unfair because it targets only selected areas of the city, including stretches of Prospect Avenue and Independence Avenue. Some convenience store owners warn single-serve alcohol accounts for more than 30% of their sales and fear layoffs could follow. Mayor Quinton Lucas counters the restrictions are aimed at reducing crime and improving public safety. KC Hits Brakes on Bus Fares Just one week after bringing back bus fares for the first time in six years, Kansas City is pumping the brakes. RideKC is temporarily suspending fare collection after riders reported confusion over the new system and technical glitches made paying difficult. For now, no one will be turned away for not having the money to ride. Transit officials say the grace period will end June 14, when fare collection will resume. UFC Comes to the White House The South Lawn of the White House is trading state dinners for takedowns this week. As part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, President Donald Trump is hosting a UFC Fight Night on Sunday – a date that also happens to be Flag Day and his 80th birthday. A temporary arena is already taking shape outside the White House. Giant steel scaffolding now towers over the South Lawn, framing the UFC’s trademark “octagon,” an eight-sided metal cage in which fighters punch, kick and grapple for victory. More than 4,000 fans are expected to attend, with a large share of the seats set aside for members of the military. Western Auto Sign Set for a Comeback Kansas City’s skyline is about to get a little brighter. After spending nearly a year in the dark, work begins this week to relight the iconic Western Auto sign at 21st Street and Grand Boulevard. City Hall says it has finally reached a deal with the owners of the Western Auto Lofts, ending a long-running dispute over who would pay for the repairs. The 70-foot-tall neon landmark has been a downtown fixture since 1952. The only hitch? It likely won’t be ready in time to greet World Cup visitors. The restoration is expected to take six to eight weeks. Hotels Sold out in JoCo Don’t bother checking hotel availability in Johnson County this week—it’s already gone. Not for the World Cup, but for one of the biggest youth softball events in the country. Beginning Thursday, 325 club teams from 32 states descend on the area for the four-day Top Gun Invitational. Demand is so high, some of the players and their families will be bunking in hotels as far away as Topeka. And the talent search is just as intense: nearly 350 college coaches are expected to be in the bleachers, looking to recruit the nation’s next generation of top players. Spielberg Brings Aliens to Kansas City – Sort Of Kansas City gets the Hollywood treatment Friday when Steven Spielberg’s new sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day lands in theaters. The film stars Emily Blunt as a Kansas City TV meteorologist whose morning forecast is interrupted by what appears to be an alien transmission. Viewers will spot other local touches, including a Kansas City police cruiser and a Royals baseball sign. There’s just one catch: despite all the Kansas City references—and Blunt opening the movie trailer with, “Good morning, Kansas City”—the cameras never rolled here. The film was shot in New York and New Jersey, where more generous tax incentives won the production. 9 Things to Watch, See and Do This Week … The Chainsmokers headline the free FIFA Fan Fest event Saturday on the South Lawn of the National World War I Museum. Tech N9ne headlines Friday night. The Kansas City Symphony plays the music of Taylor Swift in a two-night concert experience Thursday and Friday at the Kauffman Center. Country stars Dierks Bentley and Ricky Skaggs take the stage at the new Morton Amphitheater Saturday night. Can KU Baseball still turn things around?  The Jayhawks face an uphill battle today as they try to advance to the College World Series. After storms suspended last night’s matchup with Oklahoma, play was scheduled to resume at noon today in Lawrence with KU already in a deep hole, trailing the Sooners by seven runs after just three innings. If the Jayhawks want to keep their season alive, they’ll need a rally for the ages. The New York Knicks could clinch their first NBA title in more than half a century this week. The Knicks carry a 2-0 lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the best-of-seven-series. Game 3 is tonight at Madison Square Garden. Adding to the spotlight, President Trump is expected to be courtside—becoming the first sitting president ever to attend an NBA Finals game. The NHL Stanley Cup Finals will be settled this week. The Vegas Golden Knights have a 2–1 series lead on the Carolina Hurricanes. Game 4 is Tuesday night. Closer to home, the KC Mavericks hockey team is just two wins away from making franchise history. The Mavericks hold a commanding 2-0 lead over the Florida Everblades in the Kelly Cup Finals and could capture their first-ever league championship this week. The series shifts to Florida for Game 3 on Wednesday night at Hertz Arena. The Tacos Tequila Festival rolls into Legends Field on Saturday, with a full day of throwback hip-hop and RB, featuring Bow Wow and Soulja Boy. Opa! It’s Greek Festival time. This weekend, you can eat your weight in gyros and baklava at one of the metro’s longest-running cultural celebrations. The St. Dionysios Greek Festival runs Friday through Sunday in Overland Park. Nick Haines tracks the metro’s most impactful, confusing and downright head-scratching local news stories on Week in Review, Friday nights at 7:30 pm on Kansas City PBS. The post Nick’s Picks | Fan Fest, Streetcar, Liquor and More … first appeared on Flatland. ...read more read less