Halifax pubs hope summer business continues to soar as World Cup fever dies down

The FIFA World Cup may now be over, but businesses in Halifax are still celebrating the impacts of the tournament.

Downtown Halifax was much quieter Monday than it has been over the last month-and-a-half.

“There is no game today, but everybody is still on high from what was a phenomenal World Cup,” says Jon Whitton, co-owner of Legendary Hospitality.

The games started on June 11. With matches seemingly on all day, every day, fans packed pubs, bars, and restaurants to watch.

“People were coming out and they were vibing, they were drinking, they were eating, they were having fun, they were socializing in groups, and to be honest it was just a great energy in all the pubs and all the venues. It was phenomenal,” Whitton says.

So phenomenal in fact, that some fans aren’t ready to stop cheering.

“Now that it’s over, I’m spending most of my time just watching repeat games and some highlight moments from the games,” says fan Drapeek Damda.

“I watched all the games. It was nice having the Canadian games at the Garrison grounds.”

“It kind of feels like it’s the night after a big party,” Paul MacKinnon, the CEO of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission says as he walks down Argyle Street.

Paul MacKinnon, the CEO of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, says the vibe in the city feels like it’s the night after a big party and, in many ways, it is. Especially for supporters of Spain who won the 2026 World Cup Sunday night with a dominant performance over Argentina. It was the final of 104 games played throughout Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

“I think the feedback across the board is that it was wonderful. We had outdoor viewing parties; we had bars that were full,” said MacKinnon.

The hope now is that the momentum will continue and support will turn to local soccer teams.

“We’ve now got two professional franchises in the Tides and the Wanderers, so people are getting more used to soccer, so it definitely felt this year was much bigger than four years ago and that felt much bigger than the four years before that,” says MacKinnon.

Business owners aren’t waiting for the next World Cup to roll around. Whitton says there’s plenty to do around the city to keep people and pubs busy.

“The sun is shining and hopefully it just turns into a great summer. There are so many events that are coming down the pipeline as well. The Tides are still playing, the Wanderers are playing, Buskerfest is coming down the pipe shortly, so summer in Halifax is always phenomenal,” he said.