Downtown Denver is bracing for a soccer takeover this weekend as Union Station hosts the 13th Premier League Mornings Live Fan Festival on October 10 and 11, the city's first time landing the national event. The free two-day festival, organized with NBC Sports, USA Network, the Denver Sports Commission and the Downtown Denver Partnership, already maxed out its ticket registration weeks before the gates open.
The festival has already triggered transit and traffic changes around the station, according to RTD Denver. RTD says street-level access to Union Station's bus concourse and rail platforms from 17th and Wynkoop streets will be affected from Monday, October 5 through October 12; the access points will be closed during the festival, with passengers redirected to 16th and Wazee streets instead. Road closures and parking restrictions along Wynkoop, Wazee and 17th streets will also run that week for event-related activities, per RTD.
A First for Denver, A 13th Stop for the League
Union Station's selection marks a milestone for the fan festival series. Its arrival in Denver is the event's 13th stop nationally, according to details published by Denver Union Station.
NBC Sports' broadcast crew will anchor coverage live from the station across the weekend. Host Rebecca Lowe and analysts Robbie Earle, Robbie Mustoe and Tim Howard will lead the on-site programming, joined by guest appearances from former Premier League champion Joe Hart and Manchester United legend Wes Brown. The lineup of screenings includes Arsenal vs. Leeds United and Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur on October 10, followed by Liverpool vs. Manchester City on October 11.
A Free Weekend of Premier League Soccer
The free festival brings Premier League coverage and match screenings to downtown Denver on October 10 and 11.
In August, the official Premier League trophy was slated to appear at McGregor Square for an Arsenal season kickoff watch party, a planned event Hoodline previewed in its piece on the planned trophy appearance.
Getting to the Festival Without a Car
For travelers flying in, RTD's A Line commuter train connecting Denver International Airport directly to Union Station maintained 30-minute departure frequencies in the days leading up to the festival, through October 10. That direct rail link sits inside the very footprint affected by the street-level closures, so visitors arriving by train will still reach the station even as vehicle access around it tightens.
Despite the inconvenience for drivers, RTD says it is keeping full rail and bus operations running throughout the closures by rerouting pedestrian access to 16th Street rather than suspending service. For downtown commuters navigating the next week, the message from transit officials is the same one echoing through hotel lobbies and sports bars across the city: expect crowds, expect detours, and expect Denver's name to be added to the list of cities that have hosted one of English soccer's biggest traveling roadshows.
