Housing & Development

World Cup: Kansas City

Is Kansas City ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup? KCUR is covering how this massive event is changing our city — for the tournament and beyond.

Kansas City opens World Cup transit hub with new shuttle services ready to start this week

KCUR | By Cassandra Isobelle Flores

Published June 7, 2026 at 4:00 AM CDT

KC2026 Transportation Consultant Meghan Jansen encourages local residents to hop on the bus with other fans and visitors, who are experiencing Kansas City for the first time.

Beginning June 11, the ConnectKC26 shuttles will connect key World Cup destinations like the airport and stadium to a central bus mall at 27th Street and Grand Boulevard, near the Fan Festival.

With just over a week before Kansas City's first World Cup game, KC2026 is setting the final touches for its system to transport hundreds of thousands of residents and expected visitors around the metro.

The ConnectKC26 Bus Mall, located at 27th Street and Grand Boulevard and just two blocks from the FIFA Fan Festival, opens Sunday with 247 motor coaches set to arrive.

Starting on Thursday, June 11, the bus mall will serve as a central hub for three transit services: a free route to the airport; a match-day route to the stadium; and a larger regional service connecting more than a dozen locations to the festival.

Riders will be able to plan their trip and track the motor coaches through Transit, a mobile app used by RideKC. The app is available for download now.

“It is trip planning, door-to-door, and it’s also going to show real-time arrivals,” said KC2026 transportation consultant Meghan Jansen.

Find out more information about the tournament on KCUR's complete World Cup guide, and by signing up for our Soccer City 26 newsletter.

What to know about the ConnectKC2026 shuttle service

Jansen said ConnectKC26 has the capacity to shuttle more than 20,000 riders to each match.

“This is really going to be the epicenter for all this activity,” Jansen said of the bus mall.

While the motor coaches provide air conditioning, the bus mall has only limited tent spaces for riders trying to get out of Kansas City's summer heat. Riders are encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle, Jansen said.

The Fan Festival and the stadium will both allow attendees to bring their own empty bottle, but it must be plastic. Metal and glass water bottles are prohibited.

Crews are in the process of setting up Kansas City's FIFA Fan Festival. The main stage will feature large screens to watch matches and host different musical guests.

With tents, barriers, and signage already posted at the bus depot, volunteers will soon be lined down the street to welcome fans and to answer any questions as they navigate Kansas City.

"We've used visual cues as much as possible,” Jansen said. “We also have QR codes on all of our signs, and when those are scanned and you get to the online version, it will translate into seven different languages."

Jansen added that bilingual volunteers will help accommodate international visitors as needed.

Below, find more info about the three ConnectKC26 services. A valid pass is required to use all transit routes — get yours here.

Airport Direct

A free, roundtrip service from Kansas City International Airport (MCI) to the ConnectKC26 Bus Mall (27th and Grand).

Runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Stadium Direct

The $15 roundtrip service operates on the six match days at Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead), for game ticket holders only.

Shuttles start three hours before kickoff and run until two hours after the match ends.

FIFA Fan Festival at the National WWI Memorial and Museum (27th and Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, MO)
Plaza Transit Center (41 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd., Kansas City, MO)
Highway 40 (Highway 40 & Stadium Dr, Kansas City, MO)
Independence Center (18801 E 39th St S, Independence, MO)
Oak Park Mall (1149 W 95th St, Overland Park, KS)
North Kansas City (520 E 19th Ave, North Kansas City, MO)

Region Direct

The new public transit options will run from June 11 to July 13 during the World Cup. The games are expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area.

The service connects the FIFA Fan Festival with 15 stops across the region. A day pass costs $5, and weekly and full-tournament transit passes are also available online.

Core hours will be from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekends.

These lines will run throughout the tournament, from June 11 through July 13.

North Kansas City (520 E 19th Ave, North Kansas City, MO)
Worlds of Fun (4545 Worlds of Fun Ave, Kansas City, MO)
Liberty (1915 College Street, Liberty, MO)
Boardwalk Square (8600 N Boardwalk Ave, Kansas City, MO)
Independence Square (13910 E Truman Road, Independence, MO)
Independence Center (18801 E 39th St S, Independence, MO)
Lee’s Summit (217 SW Main St, Lee's Summit, MO)
3-Trails Transit Center (9449 Blue Ridge Blvd, Kansas City, MO)
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium (6700 Swope Pkwy, Kansas City, MO)
Overland Park Convention Center (6000 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS)
Oak Park Mall (11149 W 95th St, Overland Park, KS)
Mission Transit Center (5251 Johnson Dr, Mission, KS)
Lenexa City Center (8741 Ryckert St, Lenexa, KS)
The Legends (10824 Parallel Pkwy SPC 700, Kansas City, KS)
Lawrence (2315 Bob Billings Pkwy, Lawrence, KS)

The KC2026 Accessible Transportation Services and RideKC Freedom On-Demand are available for fans with accessible transportation needs.