INGLEWOOD – The city of Inglewood is set to host EIGHT World Cup matches between June and July 2026, which is music to the ears of Airbnb business owners.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Airbnb hosts, especially those with a direct path to SoFi Stadium, are charging nearly $11,000 for TWO NIGHTS on the home-sharing platform.
Photos from the Airbnb listing indicate the home is located directly behind Forum Liquor at the intersection of Prairie Ave. and Buckthorn Street.
“When Stan Kroenke decided to build our transformative stadium, it was with the goal of bringing the world’s biggest events and all the resulting economic and community benefits to Los Angeles, Inglewood and this entire region,” said Kevin Demoff, president of the Los Angeles Rams. “The release of the match schedule marks another incredible step on the path to hosting the largest single-sport event in history. We are excited to welcome fans from around the world who will join Angelenos in showing how the power of sport can bring communities from all neighborhoods and backgrounds together.”
(Photo: 2 urban girls)
But not all small business owners – especially street vendors – will be able to benefit from the resulting financial windfall.it rains like manna” on the City of Champions as the City will hold a public hearing on January 13, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. to designate certain portions of Inglewood as an “Event Zone.”1
“Taking into account the scale of official FIFA Games events and the large number of people attending or participating, the City shall adopt certain regulations regarding temporary structures, outdoor sale or distribution of goods or materials on streets, sidewalks and other public rights-of-way, as well as temporary outdoor advertising displays visible from public streets in the vicinity of official events in order to avoid traffic jams, litter and other obstructions to the movement of vehicles, pedestrians and vehicles and personnel of the FIFA Games. emergency services; avoid line of sight obstructions; easily identify and investigate. unclaimed/suspicious packages and vehicles impacting public safety operations; protect the security of official events and protect the health and safety of the public;
The Event Zones Ordinance provides for “event zones” also known as “clean zones” and establishes a temporary event zones ordinance in areas of the City that are near or affected by official events scheduled to occur during certain periods and within specified limits.
As of August 2023, Inglewood established a Ordinance on itinerant sales which created a 1,000-foot buffer zone around Inglewood Sports and Entertainment District venues, churches, schools, Centinela Hospital, Inglewood Park Cemetery and the adjacent Rogers Park water treatment plant, over the objections of the city attorney at the time. Ken Campos.
“There are about two to three other cities that are currently being sued or in court over their limits,” Campos said. “The one in the city of Los Angeles is 500 feet and they are being challenged because of state law.”
“The city of Los Angeles has not conducted any study, nor has Inglewood, on the basis of the 500 or 1,000 foot restriction,” Campos said. “So unless the city of Los Angeles can prove whether there are health or safety concerns, the courts will likely rule in favor of the cart sellers.”
Mayor of Inglewood James T. Butts Jr. was not swayed by the street vendors’ ability to sue the city over the ordinance.
“They can sue for 500 or 1,000, so what difference would that make?” asked Butts during a public hearing held on the issue.
During sporting events, you’ll see street vendors lined up along Century Blvd. from Prairie Ave. and all public sidewalks surrounding the Hollywood Park campus, home to SoFi Stadium, selling licensed alcohol, food, and sporting goods (jerseys, t-shirts, etc.).
About 6.5 million people are expected to travel to North America during the 2026 World Cup, and many of them will travel to Los Angeles, where SoFi Stadium is hosting eight matches, including two U.S. matches during the group stage. Airbnb hosts view the games as a gold mine, hoping football fans will shell out thousands of dollars to stay near the stadium.
The World Cup rental market will serve as a test run for the 2028 Olympics, where about 15 million people are expected to visit Southern California.
For opening night on June 12, more than 70 percent of short-term rentals in Inglewood have already been booked, according to data site Inside Airbnb. This represents a 58% increase compared to typical booking rates on normal days.
In exchange, the City of Inglewood receives 15.5% transient occupancy tax (TOT) on each rental.
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