I went to San Diego’s official World Cup watch party and here’s what happened. This article will be updated throughout the duration of the tournament.
By Kevin Wilkeron, San Diego Blogger
I went to the San Diego’s offical World Cup watch party location at Fit Social along the ocean in Mission Beach hoping to walk into a setting that, even before I got there, I could tell something big was happening. A vibrant atmosphere filled with people carrying large flags, the sound of fans blowing into those long red soccer horns, music playing and a “wow this is awesome” vibe.
A scene. A happening.
Instead, what I experienced was a bit deflating. In fact, it was kind of boring. There was no signage, no giant soccer ball on display for selfies or social media posts. When I went to a World Cup game at the Rose Bowl, there was all that kind of stuff for blocks and by the time we got to the stadium we were in a bigtime World Cup spirit.
There was not of that here, tho. Unless you were inside the venue or at one of the bars in the immediate vicinity, it was just another day at the beach.
Not that I didn’t see this coming. Blame (or credit) my cynical sportswriter background but when I saw Fox 5 promoting it with promos and stories, as well as some social media accconts (including one that will remain nameless because one post had a photo of Oceanside, therefore forever ruining its credibility with me as well as several who comments on the post; don’t these people realize that locals know the locations!?) claming it as THE place to be for the World Cup in San Diego, I was skeptical.
For one thing, it it took me forever to find out if it was free. It is, but this information was being hidden, which always sets off my alarm because I know there’s a catch to it. And, as it turns out it is free, but with an asterisk. You have to register in advance, but it’s a multi-step process. The upside is that you only have to do it once and the QR code they send you is good for the entire month-long tournament.
Of course, little good this did me and others for the first match feauring Mexico. There was a line of about 40 people waiting to get into the area and after about five minutes, a staffer said that the venue was at capacity and nobody was getting in unless other people left. Fat chance of that happening in San Diego with Mexico playing. However, if you were willing to pay $18 for a so-called FastPass (who’s running this thing anyway, CalTrans?) or more for VIP, there apparently was plenty of room.
Plus, Fit Social is a fairly small footprint and has a capacity of only 1,500 people. How big can this party really be if it’s that small? About 50 people lined up against the seawall on the boardwalk where a handfull of them could get a glimpse of the big screen, but I was hoping for a block party type of thing. This is simply not the case. I will say that when Mexico scored goals, there was a lot of cheering from those inside the venue so it’s a different scene there.
Frustrated but not surprised, I did an end run and went around the corner to Draft. Downstairs was full and there was a small line to get in but I went upstairs and got in no problem. From the north end of the balcony, I was able to look down at the Fit Social scene. People there were definitely having a good time so my advice is to go between games when there’s no line and maybe hang out until one starts. Plus, as a long-time Mission Beach local told me “it will be that way for Mexico and the USA. The other games won’t be a problem.”
Anyway, I had an $11 beer – $13.21 with tax and tip and at that price I made it a 7.5 San Diego IPA rather than some wimpy 5% one – and then checked out the local bar scene.
The best place by far was upstairs at Sandbar. I walked in near the end of the game and it was lively. Elsewhere – the ground-floor level of Sandbar, at Coaster Saloon (note: each had a line to get into earlier so keep that in mind) and downstairs at Draft – was mainly people (about half being families with kids) sitting down and eating while watching the game. This is not what I want for World Cup bars at all. I want a place that’s a social scene, something like Smoking Gun for an Alabama football game. There, people are not sitting quiety and eating, they are up talking with others, high-fiving big plays, shouting during good and bad moments (and at the refs) and singing to songs played by the DJ. That was not the case in Mission Beach.
I did check out other bars in the area to see if there was any World Cup spillover effect. I walked half a mile north to Miss B’s and Guava Beach; the former was pretty tame but people were coming out of the latter a half hour or so after the game. So it has potential, tho it’s a very smaller place.
I then headed the other direction to the bars of South Mission Beach. There was not one single person in Beachcomber and because, unlike George Thorogood I don’t drink alone, I went next door to The Pennant. Upstairs was closed but downstairs the bartender said they had a pretty good crowd during the game. So that’s a place to keep in mind for future games.
Meanwhile, I had dispatched PubClub.com correspondent Digger to North Park. He wound up at Fair Play and he reported that things were much more lively there than in Mission Beach. This is a place to keep on your World Cup game-waching bars radar.
My conclusion is this: San Diego’s official World Cup watch party is fine but to use the word “party” is a stretch. It is a good place to watch World Cup games but I wouldn’t make a beeline to go there.
Is The Mission Beach World Cup Watch Party Free?
Yes, but with an asterisk as pointed out in the article.
Could You Buy Food And Drinks?
Yes, inside the venue and at area bars and restaurants, all of which are showing World Cup games.
Is It More Of A Party Or Viewing Event?
Definitely a viewing event.
Would I Go Again?
Yes. But with limited expectations.
What are your thoughts on the venue and experience? Leave a comment!
Related Posts:
• San Diego World Cup Watch Parties & Bars (Updated Throughout The World Cup)
• Why Soccer Will Never Catch On In America
• Watch videos on PubClub’s Instagram account
Kevin Wilkerson is the founder of PubClub.com, an award-winning journalist and San Diego-based nightlife expert who has spent years exploring Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and other coastal communities. He has covered destinations, events and entertainment for more than two decades and received an Associated Press award for investigative journalism while working as a newspaper reporter. He played intramural soccer in college.
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