Thousands flock to ‘Miami’s second stadium’ for full World Cup experience. See the photos

The most visible sign of all that the FIFA World Cup is upon us in South Florida, is the transformation of 32-acre waterfront Bayfront Park into FIFA Fan Festival Miami. The mega watch party is free of charge and runs through July 5, with capacity for 30,000 daily attendees.

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Beyond live match broadcasts on four massive screens, the festival will feature an 8,000-capacity amphitheater, concerts, cultural programming tied to matches of the day, food booths, family-friendly games, mini soccer pitches, face-painting and interactive activations (including one called “Beckham’s Back Yard” in which fans kick the ball around with a video version of the English icon and Inter Miami co-owner).

They are billing Bayfront Park as “Miami’s second stadium,” a gathering place for fans who don’t have tickets to matches and for ticketholders on off days.

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Fans saw Qatar and Switzerland battle to a 1-1 draw in Group B play, while Brazil and Morocco also tied at 1-1 to kick off Group C play. In the nightcap, Scotland shut out Haiti, which returned to the tournament after a 52-year absence.

Read more Thousands flock to ‘Miami’s second stadium’ for full World Cup experience. See the photos

See the scene on Saturday: