Calling all football fans! The Premier League Fan Festival is coming to the Midwest for the first time, bringing together thousands of fans to cheer on their favorite English teams.
With Chicago’s rich sports culture, it’s no surprise that the event chose Chicago to host its next big viewing party at 72 W. La Salle Drive.
“It’s the Bulls, it’s the Blackhawks, it’s all of our primary sports teams, but then it’s also things like NASCAR that say this is a great backdrop, this is a great sports town, let’s be here,” Kara Bachman said , head of the Chicago Sports Commission.
Now the Premier League wants a piece of the action too.
“I think that says a lot,” Bachman said. “The Premier League is one of the most popular, biggest brands in sports in the world. So for them to see the value of Chicago, the sports city we are, we have the fans, they know we have people coming out.”
The Premier League is the most watched football league in the country. This weekend’s event in Lincoln Park will feature huge jumbotrons for a live viewing party. Several games will be broadcast on Saturday, with the biggest game of the weekend seeing league leaders Manchester City host second-placed Arsenal on Sunday.
Nine previous fanfests drew a combined 85,000 people, with Chicago aiming to add to that total.
Games can be seen Saturday and Sunday on NBCUniversal platforms.
Premier League Saturdays (CT):
- 06:30 — West Ham United v Chelsea
- 9:00 a.m — Aston Villa vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
- 9:00 a.m — Fulham v Newcastle United
- 9:00 a.m — Leicester City vs. Everton
- 9:00 a.m — Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth
- 9:00 a.m — Southampton vs. Ipswich Town
- 9:00 a.m — Tottenham Hotspur vs. Brentford
- 11:30 am — Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United
Premier League Sunday Matches (CT):
- 8:00 am — Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Nottingham Forest
- 10:30 am — Manchester City vs Arsenal