The summer of 2026 seems like a long way off but in fact it will be here sooner than we realize and it will bring one of the most exciting events to the Dallas metroplex area in a very long time. The FIFA World Cup for soccer -- football to anyone outside of the U.S. -- is coming to a number of American cities, including Dallas. But rest assured: we have plans in place for hotel rooms, but attendees need to plan ahead.
With nine of the 26 World Cup matches over the period of a month from Sunday, June 14th through Tuesday, July 14th, our city and the surrounding areas are going to be crowded with visitors not just from around the state but from around the world. Of course, all of it will be coinciding with our regular summer schedules of shows and markets for the fashion, gift and home sectors.
Some people have asked why we didn’t move our market dates. That turned out to be easier said than done. Given the timing of our markets including aligning with product break dates, there really weren’t good alternative dates. And, it’s important to keep in mind that the match in Dallas will actually be in Arlington, 20 miles away and halfway between the Market Center and Ft. Worth, so visitors will be spread across Arlington, Dallas and Ft. Worth and not just here in Dallas.
We’ve been working hard on coordinating our events with FIFA for quite some time. We have contracts with many hotels and rates are very comparable to our normal market rates. You can now book rooms on our website and I encourage people to make their reservations as soon as they can. Given the one-time circumstances of this scheduling, I did want to mention in the spirit of full disclosure there is a Special Event Policy in place requiring a one night non-refundable room and tax deposit. Here’s the link to the travel page on our DMC website to get you started: https://www.dallasmarketcenter.com/become-an-attendee/plan-your-visit/hotels-transportation/
So, we’ve done our advance planning and we expect to have our usual terrific summer markets, hosting buyers and market attendees in June and July. And, hey, while you’re here you might even want to take in a match and see some of the world’s finest teams and players.
Let the games begin.
Cindy Morris,
President and CEO, Dallas Market Center