New York City FC (NYCFC) plans to “soft launch” its new stadium in Willets Point with a series of test events starting next April, according to the club’s CEO Brad Sims.
Sims had confirmed last month that NYCFC will officially open Etihad Park on July 17, 2027 for the start of the 2027/28 MLS season.
Before that, Sims confirmed on Monday, the club plans to host a number of test events starting in April, with plans in the works for an international friendly next June.
NYCFC will test the venue with a number of events next April, starting with a number of small-scale events, such as testing the planned City Square outside the stadium and testing certain entrances and sections.
It will also trial events like team trainings at the stadium as well as testing the venue’s kitchens and concession stands.
“Assuming everything stays on its current course, we’ll have constant small events and test events from early April before getting into some real events ahead of the MLS opener,” Sims said. “We could do a mock march to the (stadium) from the marina lots, and then we could test the entrances.”
NYCFC is currently rolling out Phase 5 of its ticketing process for the new stadium, allowing fans to purchase around 2,500 lower-bowl seats not directly connected to club or hospitality spaces. The club will next begin rolling out Phase 6 this fall, offering access to what Sims described as the “lion’s share” of general seating.
NYCFC has not yet confirmed a pricing structure or a release date for Phase 6.
“We want to have prices at every stage and every budget, but we haven’t we haven’t finalized any kind of thoughts on pricing yet,” Sims said. “I think it will also be based on demand… Throughout the process, we’ve had a lot of learnings.”
Sims did not comment on whether the Phase 6 prices would match prices for games at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field – NYCFC’s temporary homes – but said comparing fan experiences at those venues with Etihad Park would be like “comparing apples to pineapples.”
NYCFC will finish out the current MLS season by splitting its home games between Yankee Stadium and Citi Field before bidding farewell to both stadiums after a “sprint season” next spring as the MLS transitions to match the summer-to-spring “European” calendar.
The opening of the stadium is, therefore, timed to coincide with a new era for the MLS. As a result, Sims does not believe that the club missed an opportunity to open the stadium in time for the World Cup.
“We’re launching the ‘new MLS’ at the same time that we’re launching Etihad Park,” he said. “It all just lines up perfectly.”
With NYCFC set to kickstart a new era in Willets Point next summer, the club has been linked with signing a big-name player to launch that new era, USMNT star Christian Pulisic chief amongst them.
Recent reports indicated that the club mounted an offer of $10 million per season to bring Pulisic to the Big Apple, with his contract at AC Milan set to expire in 2027.
Todd Dunivant, NYCFC’s sporting director, made no secret of the club’s admiration for Pulisic on Monday.
“Any team would jump at the chance to have a Christian Pulisic, and we’re certainly in that camp,” Dunivant said. “We think he would he would be incredible for our league, and represent everything that you’d want in in the team and in the league. So I think our strategy is absolutely being open to a big name, a big target like that.”
But the club will not “sit around and wait” for a player like Pulisic, Dunivant added, as it aims to ensure that it can field the “best team possible” when Etihad Park opens in a year.
“Ownership is very bullish on the new stadium and making sure that we have the right team and the right pieces in place,” Dunivant added.
Dunivant expressed confidence that Nico Fernández Mercau – NYCFC’s current star – will still be at the club by the time the stadium opens.
Fernández Mercau had also been the subject of intense speculation this summer, with reports swirling that the Argentine had submitted a transfer request and that an $18 million offer had been tabled for his services.
Dunivant did not confirm or deny those rumors but said the club is “keeping in close communication” with the Argentinian forward, who has scored an impressive 13 goals this season to share the lead in the MLS goalscorer standings. Fernández Mercau has also scored three times in three games since the return of MLS action following the World Cup break.
“When you have somebody who’s really, really good and performing well for the club, then there’s going to be interest,” Dunivant said. “I think that’s a testament to our scouts who brought him in, to our coaching staff, to our team, and to Nico.
“He has emerged as as a top, top player in our league, and that’s always going to mean interest from a lot of people.”
