MAYOR MICHELLE WU HOSTS SUMMER IMPACT ROUNDTABLE, HIGHLIGHTING BOSTON’S SUCCESS AND IMPACTS FOLLOWING HISTORIC SUMMER SEASON

MAYOR MICHELLE WU HOSTS SUMMER IMPACT ROUNDTABLE, HIGHLIGHTING BOSTON’S SUCCESS AND IMPACTS FOLLOWING HISTORIC SUMMER SEASON    City roundtable convened civic leaders, business owners and residents to celebrate success of this summer’s major events and advance efforts to build on momentum for Boston communities across neighborhoods and sectors BOSTON - Friday, August 14, 2026 - Following Boston’s historic summer of major events, Wednesday, August 12, Mayor Michelle Wu hosted a roundtable with civic leaders, business owners, residents and local elected officials to discuss and reflect on the positive impacts that hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Sail Boston 250, and Boston 250 events had on Boston's businesses and communities. At the roundtable, Mayor Wu emphasized the City will continue to gather feedback from residents, partners, and businesses and work to build on the momentum generated across neighborhoods from this summer’s major events.   “When we create space for fun, community will come, and so will the economic impact. This historic summer showcased Boston to the world, and we are grateful to our City teams, public safety officials, community leaders, and local businesses for all their hard work. These major events created economic opportunity in every neighborhood, and we’re determined to carry that momentum forward,” said Mayor Michelle Wu.  Following this summer, the City will continue to work together with partners and businesses to bolster supports and make it easier for communities to create exciting activations and opportunities year-round.  “Our investment in the World Cup paid great dividends, becoming a model for how we pursue future events,” said Martha Sheridan, President & CEO of Meet Boston. “The goal, from the outset, was to ensure that the economic impact of the tournament rippled across our neighborhoods and beyond, allowing for small businesses and community watch parties to flourish, and enhancing the overall visitor experience.” “This summer has been some of the most fun Boston has experienced in a while! We are grateful to have had the whole city be showcased to the world and look forward to more opportunities to show our beautiful neighborhoods,” said City Councilor Enrique Pepen.  “This summer showed us that Boston can handle big events, Boston can handle late nights, and Boston can do fun. We saw tremendous energy across the city, and we saw what is possible when the City, our neighborhoods, and the business community work together,” said City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune. “As Chair of the Committee on Arts, Culture, Entertainment, Tourism and Special Events, I’ve been focused on making sure that the benefits of these moments actually reach the people and businesses that make Boston such a vibrant city. Our committee and my office held hearings, sent letters, and worked closely with the Administration and community and business partners around access to opportunities and resources, particularly for our small and Black & Brown owned businesses. This summer reinforced just how important those partnerships are, and how much more we can accomplish when we start planning early and bring people to the table. We’re going to continue that work on the Council.”

During the Summer Impact Roundtable, the City released preliminary data highlighting community participation, economic impact and activity in the Downtown area and the city’s neighborhoods. Additionally, the City of Boston Research Division’s economic impact analysis currently focuses primarily on the June 2026 World Cup period, with additional July analysis to be incorporated as data becomes available.  Boston World Cup Participation & Economic Impact Approximately 218,400 World Cup-related event visit days were identified in Boston in the June analysis, including FanFest, community watch parties, and South Station stadium-train riders. These participants generated an estimated $83 million in spending during the second half of June. An estimated $1.5 million in tax revenue was generated for the City of Boston. Consumer Spending & Downtown Activity Overall in-person consumer spending in Boston was approximately 5% higher during June 12–30, 2026 than comparable days in 2025. Restaurant spending increased approximately 2% citywide and 15% in Greater Downtown. Restaurant spending peaked on June 21 at approximately 20% above 2025 citywide and 46% higher in Greater Downtown. Bar spending increased approximately 27% citywide and 86% in Greater Downtown. Citywide bar spending peaked at approximately 66% above 2025 levels on June 20. Greater Downtown bar spending peaked at approximately 179% above 2025 levels on June 19. Social Districts & Extended Business Activity 140 businesses extended their hours until 3am.  In total, 211 businesses extended operations by one hour.  These 211 businesses are located in 25 zip codes. On Union and Marshall Streets, 89 percent of bars and restaurants (eight) participated in the social district. On Temple Place, 100 percent of bars and restaurants participated in the social district.   Visits to Union and Marshall Streets were approximately 60% higher than the comparable period in 2025. Visits to Temple Place were approximately 40% higher than 2025. Bar spending in the City Hall area increased approximately 166.3% over the same period. Bar spending in the Temple Place/Park Street area increased approximately 85.7%. Community Activity 31 communities across Massachusetts hosted more than 175 events. 7 fan walks / gatherings were held in Boston The City of Boston hosted 18 watch parties drawing tens of thousands to different parks, and open spaces across the City. On June 19th, the three community watch parties in Boston Common drew approximately 6,800 fans. The City also mobilized over $400,000 in private sector funding and grants to be distributed to community organizations and small businesses across our neighborhoods as part of the 250th celebrations and activating the neighborhoods to celebrate this historic summer.  "This summer proved what’s possible when visionary leadership and local partnership line up to welcome the world to Boston," said Michael J. Nichols, President of the Downtown Boston Alliance. "Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Wu and our state partners, major global moments—from the World Cup and Sail Boston to America’s 250th—were paired with bold policy updates like Boston’s first social districts. The results speak for themselves: July domestic foot traffic rose over 10% year-over-year, weekend visitation topped pre-pandemic levels, and surveyed downtown restaurants saw revenue jump nearly 38% - and even more in the Temple Place Social District. Small businesses thrived, our public realm came alive, and we’ve established a proven blueprint for Downtown’s continued economic success." “Boston’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths”, said Elizabeth Espinal, Vice Counsel of the Dominican Republic. “Major events represent an opportunity to generate economic development in our neighborhoods and support small businesses. From the Dominican Consulate, we value this partnership and remain committed to strengthening our collaboration with the City to expand that impact.” “These major events showed us the power of bringing people together and creating opportunities for small businesses throughout Boston,” said Luis Espinozia, owner of Roundhead Brewery. “We saw firsthand how neighborhood programming can bring people into our communities and create opportunities for local businesses, musicians, artists, and food vendors. I hope we can continue that momentum beyond the World Cup by creating more opportunities for neighborhood-scale events throughout the year.”