140,000 visitors have come to Decatur Square over the past month to celebrate all things soccer at DecaturWatchFest ‘26, far exceeding the City’s expectations. From July 9 to 19, Decatur WatchFest ‘26 will show the World Cup quarter finals, semi finals and final matches, plus seven concerts, including Decatur’s own Indigo Girls.
“Decatur WatchFest’ 26 is having the strong economic impact we’d hoped for as many of our local businesses are seeing their best activity in years,” said Decatur City Manager Andrea Arnold. “As with our Olympics efforts in 1996, a positive long-term impact on economic development is expected as new-to-Decatur visitors decide to move their families and businesses to the area.”
Full details can be found here. WatchFest sponsor activations are open one hour before the first event of the day. A “know before you go” page details items allowed on the Square during Decatur WatchFest.
Matches – All matches will be shown live on three large screens on the Decatur Square. Viewing is free and does not require tickets.
- July 9: 4 p.m., France v Morocco
- July 10: 3 p.m., Spain v Belgium
- July 11: 5 p.m., Norway v England; 9 p.m., Argentina v Switzerland
- July 14: 3 p.m., W97 v W98
- July 15: 3 p.m., W99 v W100
- July 18: 5 p.m., Losers M101 v Losers M102
- July 19: 3 p.m., Winners M101 v Winners M102
Matches not shown on the big screens, or if attendance is beyond capacity on the Square, can be viewed at official Decatur WatchFest WatchSpots.
Concerts – Except for Indigo Girls on July 19, all of these concerts are FREE and do not require tickets. All performances are on the stage on the Decatur Square.
- July 9: 7 p.m., Polly Holiday
- July 10: 6:00 p.m., Little Hopes
- July 11: 7:15 p.m., Purple Madness
- July 14: 7:00 p.m., These Crowded Streets
- July 15: 6:00 p.m., Decatur City Band
- July 18: 7:30 p.m., Pushback
- July 19: 8:00 p.m., Indigo Girls (gated and ticketed event)
Match and concert schedules are on Decatur WatchFest ‘26’s website and its social media pages including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
Over the 34 days of FIFA World Cup ‘26™, Decatur WatchFest will showcase more than 60 matches on three giant screens on the Decatur Square, 34 free concerts featuring national and local music, and a range of other experiential activations.
