NYC Wanted One Thing for the World Cup and It Just Got Complicated

Manhattanites want to go back to something they actually enjoyed for two years during COVID.

New York City didn’t just allow it, they enforced it.

But now an ISIS-inspired plot in Zorhan Mamdani’s Big Apple just sent some New Yorkers back to living in fear.

New York HOST Act Would Allow Outdoor Drinking Zones During World Cup 2026

Manhattan Assemblymember Tony Simone introduced the HOST Act – Hospitality and Open Space Transformation Act – last week, a bill that would allow New York City and other municipalities to create "entertainment zones" where licensed bars can sell alcohol for open-air consumption on public streets during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The tournament runs June 11 through July 19, with the Final at MetLife Stadium across the Hudson in New Jersey. Simone envisions "sip and stroll" corridors along 9th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen and 8th Avenue in Chelsea – participating bars serving drinks that patrons carry outside within a defined perimeter. Age restrictions and enforcement stay in place. Bar hours could be extended to cover overseas match times.

"The World Cup is coming, whether we act or not," Simone said. "Let's make sure small businesses are in the starting lineup."

That's a reasonable pitch. The economic case is real – the NYNJ Host Committee projects $3.3 billion in economic impact for the region, with more than 1.2 million visitors expected over the 39-day tournament. Food and beverage spending alone is projected at $280 million. Simone modeled the bill on a similar measure already signed into law in Washington state, which allowed nine cities near Seattle's matches to offer expanded outdoor alcohol service.

Kathy Hochul Has Less Than 100 Days to Sign Off

The bill still needs the full state Legislature, Governor Hochul's signature, State Liquor Authority approval, and then individual municipal sign-offs – with the tournament less than 100 days away.

Robert Bookman, attorney for the NYC Hospitality Alliance – the very industry group the bill is designed to help – said flatly that getting all of that done in time is "not realistic."

Hochul's office declined to comment on the bill specifically. A spokesperson said only that the governor would "review any bill that passes both houses of the Legislature." Washington state passed its version with months to spare, while New York is still in the introduction stage.

Hochul is already sponsoring two free World Cup watch parties of her own – one at Stony Brook University on Long Island for the US opener on June 12 and one at Kensico Dam in Westchester for the Final. She clearly wants the optics. Whether she moves fast enough on the legislative side is a different question.

The ISIS Attack in NYC Changes the Conversation

Last Saturday, two men drove from Pennsylvania to the Upper East Side and threw ISIS-inspired IEDs into a crowd outside Gracie Mansion. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed the devices contained TATP – a volatile explosive compound used in terror attacks worldwide. One suspect, Emir Balat, told investigators he wanted to surpass the Boston Marathon bombing in lethality. Federal charges were filed Monday.

Nobody is saying the World Cup outdoor drinking plan created that threat. But law enforcement has been explicit about the security environment surrounding a million-person, 39-day international event in the country's most densely populated city. The FBI's New York field office described conditions as an "elevated threat environment."

Open-air street zones packed with international fans are soft targets by definition. That doesn't mean they shouldn't exist – official fan zones are already planned at Rockefeller Center and the USTA Tennis Center in Queens. It means the security planning has to be serious, and it has to happen fast, while Albany is still sorting out whether the bill can pass before June.

The HOST Act is a straightforward idea that works in cities that plan ahead. New York still has a chance to make it work. The clock is running on both fronts.

Sources:

• "Sip and stroll: NY lawmaker wants to ease liquor laws during World Cup," Gothamist, March 6, 2026.
• "NY bill could let people drink outdoors during World Cup," NBC New York, March 5, 2026.
• "FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Host Committee Announces $3.3 Billion in Economic Impact," NYNJ Host Committee, October 2025.
• "Suspects charged in alleged ISIS-inspired attack near NYC's Gracie Mansion," CBS New York, March 9, 2026.
• "Following Charges, Officials Detail Terrorist Explosive and Rapid Timeline in NYC Bomb Plot," RedState, March 9, 2026.
• "NYC marks 100 days until FIFA World Cup 2026," CBS New York, March 2026.