Scenes from inside the Orange Walk in Kansas City ahead of World Cup match
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Thousands joined the Orange Walk; some wore orange jerseys and a few used orange paint.
- The procession began at Power & Light District, went down Grand Boulevard, and ended at.
- Participants chanted, danced, played music, used beach balls, and occasionally lit orange.
People all over Kansas City raided their closets on Thursday, searching for anything that would fit with the Netherlands’ Orange Walk.
Some pulled out Illinois Illini gear. There was a kid in a Spider-Man tee Another grabbed a pumpkin shirt, even though Halloween is four months away. One guy had Tennessee Vols overalls. And a couple of teens doused themselves with orange paint.
“Not a lot of thought went into this,” one said.
But, hey, the guys wanted to join the walk, as did thousands of others in Kansas City. Being a 2026 FIFA World Cup host is exciting and these sorts of things don’t happen every day.
Those among the multitude of Netherlands fans on the Orange Walk — a pre-game tradition for Dutch national team soccer — were wearing color-appropriate jerseys with their favorite players’ names on the back: Bergkamp, Robben, de Vries, and Nistelrooy and Virgil.
I have a sizable collection of soccer jerseys, so I grabbed my Dutch one and joined in Thursday’s fun.
On a typical Orange Walk, the procession of Netherlands fans makes its way to the stadium. That’s the case for most big World Cup or European Championship matches.
“The purpose?” asked Niels Godrie of Wassenaar, Holland. “Just have a party. Just celebrate and have fun before the game. Yeah, we always have fun.”
It certainly was a joyful experience. Grown men took delight in hitting one of the beach balls — some painted like soccer balls — that floated through the air during the walk, which started at the Power & Light District, went down Grand Boulevard and ended at Fan Fest.
Some fans had big cutouts of players’ heads, including one of Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce.
People rubbed elbows — literally. I was run into or bumped multiple times on each block. We walked slow, but not at a crawl. There was chanting, dancing, a bit of drinking and the occasional smoke bomb — like the one lit by a kid in a Frenkie de Jong jersey.
When the orange smoke floated up into the air, so did a chorus of cheers.
On one of the walk’s signature orange buses, Mayor Quinton took a selfie. He wasn’t alone. All through the parade route, cameras were out as people recorded the fun for posterity.
“I just love soccer and being part of the community,” Kimi Medler of the Northland said during the walk. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If it (the World Cup) ever comes back, I probably won’t be around.
“We went to Power & Light first and it was insane down there. Energy, the atmosphere, everything. Everybody’s so kind, and it’s camaraderie, it’s community, it’s such an incredible feeling. It’s just heartfelt.”
People stepped out of their businesses to watch the procession. Others hung out on apartment patios overhead as the two orange buses and a throng of people at least eight blocks in length passed by.
And then there was the singing. Music was a big part of the walk, as the Dutch fans geared up for Thursday night’s World Cup match against Tunisia at Kansas City (Arrowhead) Stadium.
The iconic “Links Rechts” dance had the parade moving from side to side. And at 19th and Grand, “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond was playing. Everybody, of course, knew the lyrics to that one, regardless of their nationality or allegiance.
It was a fun, fun day in Kansas City, which has come to embrace the 2026 World Cup with open arms. And it helped serve as a reminder that the last parade in Kansas City, which ended in gunfire, was an anomaly.
“Everyone’s just so happy and excited, and just energized and fun,” said Jenna Hill of Lee’s Summit. "It’s just a good experience.”
This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Scenes from inside the Orange Walk in Kansas City ahead of World Cup match."
