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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Approval of a Collaboration with the Afro Village + Bahati House Sports Lab relative to the World Cup Screening in Downtown Culver City on July 19, 2026; (2) Update on the City’s 2028 Olympics Planning Efforts; and (3) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: April 27, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Elaine Warner/ Economic Development/ City Manager’s Office
Phone Number: (310) 253-5777
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (04/23/2026)
Department Approval: Adam Troy, Assistant City Manager (04/10/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve a (1) collaboration with the Afro Village + Bahati House Sports Lab relative to the World Cup Screening in Downtown Culver City on July 19, 2026; (2) receive an update on City’s 2028 Olympics Planning efforts; and (3) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament will feature matches in 11 cities in the United States, including eight matches in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium.
On March 16, 2026, the City Council approved a series of community screening activations to showcase the international soccer tournament, create community connections, highlight cultural assets and encourage visitation and tourism throughout the City. Shortly after this consideration, the Afro Village + Bahati House Sports Lab presented a proposal to collaborate with the City on the July 19th screening activation in Downtown Culver City.
DISCUSSION
On April 6th, the World Cup and Olympics City Council Ad Hoc Subcommittee (Mayor Puza and Councilmember O’Brien) met to discuss items related to the New Zealand Hospitality House as well as the proposal presented by the Afro Village + Bahati House Sports Lab. The Afro Village is working with Bahati House Sports Labs that is a non-profit working with Senegal and other African countries to present a hospitality house in Culver City during the LA28 Olympics.
As part of a campaign to introduce the public to the concepts planned for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games period, the Afro Village + Bahati House Sports Lab would like to pursue a collaboration with the City to bring curated programming and opportunities for youth and families such as sport-based activities, skill-building games, and wellness-focused experiences that promote movement, health, and connection.
These activities would complement the screening and may include:
• Soccer Skills Challenge
• Cycling or Kids Balance Bike Zone
• Movement + Fitness Challenges
• Retail & Giveaway Activation
As outlined in their proposal, the intent is to bring in external sponsors to assist in underwriting their costs. However, depending on the nature of branding and sponsorship, there may be additional licensing fees incurred per the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), which would be borne by the Afro Village + Bahiti House Sports Lab.
Screening/Celebration Naming Convention
Pursuant to Council direction, staff invited the community to weigh in on a naming convention for the upcoming series of World Cup screening events. At the time of this report, “Kick It With Culver City” received the majority vote.
• Soccer Action Stars Here! (2%)
• Lights. Camera. Goal (28%)
• Kick it in Culver City (69%)
Beer and Wine Garden: Call for Proposals
On April 7th, staff issued a call for vendors for the proposed beer and wine gardens at Veteran’s Memorial Park for the June 12th and July 11th screenings. Staff anticipate bringing back an agreement with a proposed vendor for City Council consideration on May 26th.
Olympics “Super” Subcommittee Strategy Meeting
The City will be hosting a second “super” Subcommittee meeting to share updates on LA 28 hospitality houses in Culver City, discuss concepts for the City’s activation during the Olympics and develop/refine a draft strategy plan distilled from the previous discussion in May of 2024. The meeting is tentatively slated for early June 2026 and would be open to the public. Representatives from the following Commissions/organizations would also be invited to participate:
• PRCS Commission Olympics Subcommittee
• Cultural Affairs Commission Olympics Subcommittee
• Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee
• Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee
• Disability Advisory Committee
• Sister City Committee
• Culver City Historical Society
• Culver City Arts Foundation
• Culver City Unified School District
• West LA College
• Downtown Business Association
• Culver City Arts District
• Wende Museum
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no direct fiscal impact related to the proposed collaboration with the Afro Village + Bahati House collaboration or other planning efforts at this time.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026-04-27_ATT_Afro Village + Bahati House Lab Collaboration Proposal
recommended action
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Approve a collaboration with the Afro Village + Bahati House Sports Lab related to the World Cup Screening in Downtown Culver City on July 19, 2026;
2. Receive an update on the City’s 2028 Olympics planning efforts to date; and,
3. Provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.