Public Transport Delivering for Mega Events
Even before the 2026 FIFA World Cup (FWC) kick-off, public transport organisations across North America are preparing for what will become one of the largest mobility operations ever undertaken on the continent.
The FWC is already breaking records. It will be the largest, most geographically complex tournament ever, with 48 teams taking part in over 100 matches in 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States, nearly double the matches of previous tournaments.
Five million fans are expected to attend, travelling to and from the games themselves but also to fan festivals, watch parties, airports, hotels and city centres, creating unprecedented travel demand.
Mega events place extreme pressure on public transport systems and host cities, as there are sudden, extreme spikes in travel demand around event start and end times, diverging from normal commuter travel patterns. Hundreds of thousands of spectators, many unfamiliar with the local public transport system, have to move to and from venues within short timeframes.
This creates numerous challenges for public transport agencies – congestion, delays, security risks, multi-agency coordination, operational complexity due to ever-changing, unpredictable conditions and travel patterns. That’s in addition to modifications like temporary maintenance suspension, service provision to different client groups, crowd management in spaces between stations and venues, and staff fatigue and stress.
Yet while the FWC presents an extraordinary challenge, it is only one example of how public transport serves as the backbone of major international events. Around the world, each mega event creates its own mobility demands, requiring tailored approaches that reflect local geography, event design, and passenger behaviour.
No Two Mega Events are Alike
It is vital for hosts of mega events to come together and share their knowledge and experience. From a dedicated UITP Large Events Workshop Series to a webinar series on large event security, UITP has been facilitating such interactions for the past two years. These initiatives brought together global experts to mentor FWC host cities on crowd management, security, operations, wayfinding, and volunteer activation, among other topics.
One of the clearest lessons emerging from these knowledge-sharing activities is that there is no single blueprint for success.
The 2022 FWC in Qatar was among the most compact tournaments ever staged, concentrating enormous passenger volumes around a small number of venues and transport hubs. Crowd management, station access, and passenger dispersal became central operational priorities.
In contrast, the UEFA European Championship 2024 in Germany relied heavily on existing public transport networks across multiple host cities, requiring integrated planning between operators, security services, and local authorities.
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games presented a different challenge altogether. Rather than moving spectators to a single venue, transport operators had to support simultaneous events occurring across an entire metropolitan region over the span of a month.
Laurence Debrincat
Director of Foresight & Studies at Ile-de-France Mobilités
Paris ultimately achieved near-universal public transport and active transportation mode share by approaching mobility as a regional systems challenge, supported by integrated governance, real-time monitoring tools, and coordinated passenger information.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games illustrate another emerging trend: increasingly dispersed events spread across large geographic areas.
Stefano Manelli
Director, Citec Italy and Head of Transport, Milano Cortina 2026
The Games also demonstrated that successful mobility planning is as much an organisational challenge as an operational one. Organisers underwent a lengthy process of change management, moving from the theoretical vision of the bid to the operational demands of the Games through years of planning, coordination, and transport service programming.
Planning & Operations for Success
Mega events require meticulous planning for uncertain and unpredictable conditions, tailored to the specific context of each event. In public transport, effective preparation must be matched by operational agility, enabling real-time adaptation to keep mobility safe, efficient, and reliable.
Success depends on five key areas:
- Integrated planning and governance to align stakeholders around a common strategy
- Service and network operations that can accommodate surges in demand while maintaining reliability
- Demand and flow management to prevent congestion and ensure safety
- Safety, security, and incident management frameworks that support risk mitigation and coordinated response
- Passenger information and communication tools that help visitors navigate public transport networks with confidence
Preparing for the Next Generation of Mega Events
As the FWC approaches, host cities and their public transport systems are translating these lessons into action. Agencies have established regional coordination structures, tested emergency response procedures, refined service plans, and launched passenger communication campaigns to help visitors navigate unfamiliar networks.
Many are already looking beyond 2026.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Los Angeles, which will host both FWC matches in 2026 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. The region is using the World Cup as an opportunity to test plans, strengthen partnerships, and build institutional experience ahead of an even larger mobility challenge.
Conan Cheung
Chief Operations Officer, LA Metro
With the FWC almost underway, UITP continues to build on its efforts to help cities prepare for the next generation of large events. As these events become larger, more geographically dispersed, and increasingly complex, the role of public transport continues to grow.
While every event is different, one constant remains: successful large events depend on public transport systems capable of moving millions of people safely, efficiently, and reliably.