More than a mile of downtown Santa Monica will go car-free on Sunday, July 19, when the city closes the Third Street Promenade, Ocean Avenue, Arizona Avenue, Colorado Avenue, and the Santa Monica Pier for COAST 2026, a free pedestrian festival capping six weeks of World Cup celebrations.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and includes two jumbo screens broadcasting the FIFA World Cup Final at noon.

Police Chief Darrick Jacob said the department has maintained enhanced foot, bike, and vehicle patrols in high-traffic areas throughout the tournament, including the Pier, Downtown, and the Promenade. The city's transportation page at santamonica.gov offers updates on road closures and alternate routes for the day.

Organizers call COAST 2026 the city's largest community festival of the year, according to the official event page at santamonicacup.com. The festival corridor will link the Metro E Line Downtown Santa Monica Station to the Pier, threading through Tongva Park and Palisades Park along the way, according to the city's mobility guide. Programming includes live music, art installations, food trucks, family activities, and beer gardens. KCRW, the Santa Monica-based public radio station, is listed as an event partner.

Admission is free. The event page mentions premium zones, but pricing and details have not been published.

COAST 2026 caps a six-week activation series that began Thursday, June 11, with the USA-Paraguay opening match. As of July 1, more than 100,000 people had attended more than 20 city-hosted events during the tournament's first 13 days, Mayor Caroline Torosis said that day. Foot traffic on the Promenade jumped 40 percent during World Cup programming, and downtown and beach parking revenues rose by the same margin, the Santa Monica Lookout reported.

"More than 100,000 fans from across LA County have packed our streets and turned the Promenade into one big celebration, and we are just getting started," Torosis said.

The City Council laid groundwork for the festival's open-container zones when it adopted Ordinance No. 2854 on Tuesday, April 14, establishing entertainment-zone regulations for major events.

Residents can find details and register at santamonicacup.com. Specific performers and street-closure timing have not been announced.

Upcoming community events in Santa Monica:

• Sunday, July 19 — COAST 2026 open-streets festival, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., downtown Santa Monica (free, all ages)
• Sunday, July 19 — World Cup Final on jumbo screens, noon, within the COAST 2026 footprint