World Cup plan: Watch parties, ticket giveaways and a free Ludacris show

City leaders kicked off festivities a few days early on Tuesday, hosting hundreds of children for a World Cup pep rally at C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center on Atlanta’s westside.

“This is a big moment for our city,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said, calling it the result of four years of preparation and partnerships.

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Dickens said some 400 city employees have been trained to welcome visitors from around the globe. By Atlanta’s first match, the city’s transportation department will have resurfaced more than two dozen miles of streets, restriped 200 intersections, installed 150 new streetlights and repaired an estimated 14 miles of sidewalks, he said.

Improvements have been made at the airport, the city’s parks department has been hard at work and signage is being installed to help visitors find their way, Dickens said. FIFA-themed murals have also sprouted up across town as Atlanta seeks to solidify its place “as a welcoming city.”

“The World Cup is bigger than just eight matches,” Dickens said. “It’s an opportunity for a young person in Atlanta to see new possibilities. It’s an opportunity for a small business to reach new customers. It’s an opportunity for our city to showcase our excellence and our values on a global stage.”

Credit: Ben Hendren

Credit: Ben Hendren

Soccer camps, neighborhood events and local watch parties are being planned, and Atlanta rapper Ludacris is headlining a free concert July 19 at Piedmont Park.

Lamar Stewart, the interim executive director of Showcase Atlanta, described the Piedmont Park takeover as “a celebration of soccer and sound.”

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Of the 16 cities hosting World Cup matches, Dickens said Atlanta was one of just four that came up with a human rights plan. Steps are being taken to ensure visitor safety, keep an eye out for human trafficking and ensure the games leave a positive legacy, Dickens said.

But not everyone is convinced Atlanta is ready. Michael Collins, the director of the progressive World Cup watchdog coalition Play Fair ATL, said he still has some serious concerns about the city’s preparedness.

Much of the planning was left to Atlanta’s largest corporations and the Chamber of Commerce, Collins said Tuesday.

“We have a World Cup that is solely seen as a business opportunity, and everything is governed through that lens,” Collins said.

Credit: Ben Hendren

Credit: Ben Hendren

He said major issues such as immigration, housing, criminal justice and labor rights were largely viewed “as an afterthought.”

“The real measure of success won’t be the number of visitors or the size of the economic impact,” Collins argued, but whether Atlanta’s historically marginalized groups see any tangible benefit of hosting the games.

While some locals may try to avoid the traffic and large crowds on matchdays, Dickens encouraged business owners and office managers to have their employees come into the city.

“We want you downtown,” Dickens said, encouraging owners to relax their dress codes and offer longer lunches so employees can venture out and take in the game day atmosphere.

“Let them go out and go shop and go get some FIFA love,” Dickens said.

The mayor said it would be a shame to miss out on the World Cup and this summer’s festivities “just because you’re afraid of traffic.”