Santa Clara is gearing up for a sports-filled 2026, and the city is already buzzing with anticipation. On September 24, 2025, residents, business owners, and city officials gathered for Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s State of the City Address, an event that not only outlined the city’s ongoing challenges but also spotlighted its upcoming role as the first city ever to host both Super Bowl LX and six FIFA World Cup matches in the same year. The dual hosting of these international sporting spectacles is expected to put Santa Clara squarely in the global spotlight, bringing with it both excitement and a fair share of anxiety.
Mayor Gillmor’s address, delivered at a packed venue in the heart of Santa Clara, touched on a range of pressing issues facing the city, including crime and homelessness. However, it was the city’s unprecedented opportunity—and responsibility—to host two of the world’s largest sporting events that captured the crowd’s imagination. As Gillmor put it, the city is truly at a point “where the mission meets the moment.” The phrase, now adopted as the new slogan for Santa Clara’s 2026 campaign, encapsulates the blend of pride and pressure that comes with the territory.
The excitement is palpable among locals. Daniel Huynh, a lifelong Santa Claran, summed up the prevailing sentiment, saying, “As a resident, I’m extremely proud.” It’s not hard to see why. The Super Bowl and the World Cup are not just sporting events; they’re global phenomena that draw visitors, media, and attention from every corner of the planet. For a city like Santa Clara, this is a rare chance to shine on the world stage.
But with great opportunity comes great responsibility—and risk. During the address, Mayor Gillmor didn’t shy away from voicing her concerns about the financial implications of hosting such massive events. According to ABC7 News, she was particularly wary about the city’s ability to recoup the costs associated with the Super Bowl. Just a day before the address, on September 23, the city council had approved an estimated $6.4 million deal designed to ensure Santa Clara would be reimbursed for its Super Bowl expenses. While the Bay Area Host Committee has pledged to cover the city’s costs, Gillmor was the lone dissenting vote, citing worries about the lack of concrete financial security.
“I wanted certain security, like a letter of credit or something so I didn’t feel that we had enough security in the documents to support that. I hope I’m wrong, I hope it works out right, I hope we get paid back because I’m so excited about the event,” Gillmor explained during her speech, according to KGO-TV. Her candid admission underscores the delicate balancing act facing city leaders: embracing the potential benefits of global attention and economic activity, while safeguarding the city’s financial future.
Gillmor’s concerns are not without precedent. Hosting large-scale sporting events often brings promises of economic windfalls—think packed hotels, bustling restaurants, and a surge in tourism dollars. Yet, the history books are filled with examples of cities that have struggled to break even, let alone turn a profit, after the crowds have gone home. For Santa Clara, the stakes feel especially high, given the scale of the events and the city’s commitment to ensuring a smooth, safe experience for both residents and visitors.
To that end, city officials are leaving nothing to chance. Campbell’s Mayor Sergio Lopez, who also serves as the Chair of the Valley Transportation Authority, emphasized the importance of robust public transit planning. “Many international visitors who are used to taking public transit to get everywhere they need to, so we’re making sure that we’re staffed up, that we have the technology in place, that we’re putting in additional services. We’re even bringing in additional buses and vehicles from neighboring counties so it’s all hands on deck—we’re doing everything we can to get ready,” Lopez told ABC7 News. The logistics of moving tens of thousands of fans to and from Levi’s Stadium, not to mention the surrounding festivities, is a challenge that city planners are tackling head-on.
Discover Santa Clara, the city’s tourism and marketing arm, is already hard at work promoting the kind of game day energy that defines major sports towns. Around Levi’s Stadium, they’re organizing tailgates, watch parties, and hotel arrangements, hoping to create an atmosphere that will leave a lasting impression on visitors and locals alike. The city’s hospitality sector is bracing for a surge, with hotels expected to fill up quickly as the events draw nearer.
Of course, there’s also the matter of entertainment. The Super Bowl halftime show is always a topic of intense speculation, and this year is no different. When asked about her hopes for the performer, Mayor Gillmor joked, “I want to see if I have my Taylor Swift bracelet on—my friendship bracelet. I don’t have it on right now, but yeah, I’m voting for Taylor.” Whether or not Swift takes the stage, the anticipation is part of the fun, and it adds another layer of excitement to an already jam-packed year.
Yet, even as the city prepares for the spotlight, there are reminders of the challenges that come with hosting on such a grand scale. In her State of the City address, Gillmor spoke candidly about the dual pressures of managing day-to-day issues like crime and homelessness while also planning for events that will draw global scrutiny. The mayor’s frankness about financial risks struck a chord with many in attendance, and her hope that the city will emerge both celebrated and solvent was clear.
Officials from Santa Clara County and neighboring cities were also present at the address, signaling a regional approach to both the opportunities and the headaches that 2026 will bring. The collaborative spirit is evident in the transportation plans, the shared security arrangements, and the collective marketing efforts. It’s a reminder that while Santa Clara may be at the center of the action, the ripple effects will be felt across the Bay Area.
As the countdown to 2026 continues, the city’s leaders, residents, and business community are all bracing for a year unlike any other. The sense of pride is unmistakable, but so is the awareness that the eyes of the world will be watching—and judging—Santa Clara’s performance both on and off the field. For now, the preparations continue, the excitement builds, and the city holds its breath, hoping that the rewards of hosting will outweigh the risks.
Santa Clara’s moment in the international spotlight is fast approaching, and if the energy at Mayor Gillmor’s address is any indication, the city is ready to meet it head-on—cautiously optimistic, but determined to make history for all the right reasons.
