Score Lawrence to open World Cup pop-up downtown Friday

A new World Cup hub will open Friday at 1026 Massachusetts St., giving downtown Lawrence a place to channel soccer crowds, visitor information and local energy as the tournament begins. Score Lawrence is positioning the pop-up as more than a fan stop, using it to push foot traffic toward Massachusetts Street and help tie World Cup excitement to businesses, tourism and the city’s image.

The headquarters will open alongside the first Score Lawrence soccer viewing party, a kickoff that brings the tournament into the middle of downtown activity. Inside, the space will show World Cup matches on screens, track the bracket live and sell Score Lawrence and Team Algeria scarves. It will also feature Lego displays built by Limestone Community School students that highlight local history, along with artwork created by animals from Prairie Park Nature Center.

The timing matters in Lawrence because Algeria’s men’s national team is using Rock Chalk Park as its World Cup base camp. City officials said the team arrived in Lawrence earlier in the week, after nearly two years of preparation and planning, and will train at the complex throughout the tournament. Rock Chalk Park sits at 6100 Rock Chalk Drive in northwest Lawrence and includes a soccer pitch, tennis center, ballpark and track-and-field stadium.

Score Lawrence and local partners are planning six watch parties downtown tied to World Cup matches, with extended hours at the pop-up on those dates: June 12, June 16, June 22, June 25, June 27 and July 11. Three of those events line up with Algeria’s matches, creating a direct link between the city’s downtown celebration and the national team training just up the road at Rock Chalk Park.

The broader local World Cup push is being coordinated through Lawrence 2026, which launched a website in late 2025 to serve as a hub for event listings, transportation options, business resources and other tournament information. On Friday, the downtown kickoff at The Granada will add live music, food, entertainment and a local vendor market before the USA vs. Paraguay match on a 20-foot screen, giving Massachusetts Street a high-profile start to the tournament stretch.

Once open, the Score Lawrence headquarters will operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through the World Cup, except on Wednesdays and Sundays. For downtown Lawrence, the pop-up is meant to do what a single game cannot: keep visitors in the district longer, draw them back for more events and help turn tournament buzz into a lasting local boost.