New York City authorities decided to leave the lights on at 5 urban soccer pitches around the city, hoping to even the playing field of recreation opportunities for those who work late.
The response from the locals in each of the 5 Boroughs was immense, with 4,500 people visiting the pitches to play afterhours ball throughout the summer.
It must have been a “duh” moment of sorts: with summer temperatures languishing so often above 90°F, why turn the floodlights off on public soccer pitches the moment the temperatures drop?
At the same time, the city was burning up with World Cup fever, with 8 matches taking place in the city, and the national teams of Brazil, Haiti, Morocco, and Senegal all selecting the New York-New Jersey area as their training bases for the tournament.
Launched by the NYC Parks Commission, with support from the Mayor’s Office (jubilant off the back of Arsenal FC’s title victory in the UK in May) NYC Open Play would test community participation at 5 soccer pitches, one in each NYC Borough, where the lights were kept on from 10:00 p.m., when they’d usually go out, to 2:00 a.m.
4,531 participants took part in 696 field bookings, with each booking bringing an average of 6 to 8 players. Each field had an NYC Parks patrol officer on duty. The participation was outstanding, as was the gratitude for the opportunity to play soccer from all those midnight oil-burners who power the city’s hospitality sector.
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“The strong participation we saw during the summer pilot showed us that there is a real demand for late-night play,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura.
“We’re excited to bring Open Play back and continue creating more opportunities for New Yorkers to enjoy their neighborhood parks. Parks are places where New Yorkers can come together, stay active, and build community, and that should be possible beyond traditional recreation hours.”
The program will now run all the way until next September.
WATCH a scene from a south Brooklyn pitch…
This summer, we kept the lights on all night, every night, at five soccer fields across New York City. This was the scene at Calvert Vaux Park in Gravesend, Brooklyn Tuesday night. https://t.co/52AjPYsY1E
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 17, 2026
SPREAD The Joy Of All These New Yorkers Playing Soccer When Before They Couldn’t…