West Harbor in the spotlight for World Cup Fan Zone events this week

Those who scored tickets for this week’s Los Angeles World Cup 26 Fan Zone events in San Pedro will get a bonus preview for their admission: They will be among the first to set foot within fenced-off areas of the long-anticipated, 300,000 square-foot waterfront development, West Harbor.

Visitors will watch the matches broadcast live on massive outdoor screens along the waterfront, which has been in the works for years and is rolling out its initial openings throughout the summer months. Some vendors will be open for business for food and drinks, along with live entertainment being offered during the debut Fan Zone watch parties.

General admission offers a festival-style lawn viewing experience, while VIP tickets include expedited entries, dedicated seating areas, private bar access and enhanced viewing amenities designed to bring attendees closer to the action.

Tickets are still available for Tuesday, July 14, Wednesday, July 15, and Saturday, July 18. Fan Zone tickets for the final game, on Sunday, July 19, are sold out. The link for tickets is tickets.westharborla.com. Every ticket sale also provides $1 to support local American Youth Soccer Organization programs and youth soccer in the Harbor Area.

The added attraction of a close-up look at West Harbor will provide a benchmark in the long process that has taken years to plan and create the new waterfront, which replaces the 1960s Ports O’ Call attraction.

It offers direct waterfront access that stretches for a linear mile, beginning just south of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum at Sixth Street and Harbor Boulevard, and continuing alongside the Port of Los Angeles’ main shipping channel to the east and a large grassy park area on the right, where vendors and activities will be located.

Already operating are paddle boats to rent in the water and Surry carts for wheeled rides along the promenade. Benches and viewing areas have been in place for some time — much of the paved promenade has been open for a while as well — and the San Pedro Fish Market, which will be a permanent tenant and has a signed 49-year lease, is open and already drawing large crowds to its temporary location at the north end of the West Harbor footprint.

A 6,200-seat waterfront amphitheater at the south end of the development — behind construction barriers, as it is still being finished — will be in use for the Fan Zone activities. Long-term, the amphitheater will serve as an anchor to West Harbor’s entertainment offerings, bringing live music, concerts and other large-scale attractions and events to the San Pedro waterfront.

Efforts to recreate a new waterfront have been a couple decades in the making. A ceremonial groundbreaking for construction was held in November 2022.