Fans in Miami turned away from ‘at capacity’ Fan Fest during Brazil vs. Scotland

Fans in yellow and green and others dressed in plaid kilts and patterned jerseys were turned away from FIFA Fan Fest at Bayfront Park on Wednesday as the event reached capacity.

Officers on the scene said that visitors will be able to enter only as people clear out. Fans for Brazil and Scotland stood in line outside the park, hoping for a chance to get through before the game concludes.

The Tartan Army, the horde of Scottish fans known for their partying spirit, were eager to drink and chant alongside Brazilian fans leading up to their teams’ match up at 6 p.m. But minutes after the game began, thousands of fans were blocked entry.

In a line that began at the entrance of the Fan Fest on the corner of Northeast Third Street and stretched down toward Bayside’s ferris wheel, some fans were left fanning themselves in Miami’s humid heat, watching as Bayfront Park reached its capacity of 30,000 attendees.

Fernanda Dorna Forster Leite, 30, had just arrived Downtown in hopes of getting into the fan fest with her friend. As soon as she arrived, the gates closed.

“The Brazilian community is here, I wanted to visit,” Leite said.

She was especially frustrated because it’ll feel impossible to try and get an Uber out of downtown as fans either flock home or to nearby bars already packed with fans.

“I don’t know where to go,” she said. “I had to download subscription apps to watch the game in the car ride.”

As Brazil scored its first goal, fans in line groaned and cheered from beyond the barrier.

Karen Ferguson, 36, who traveled to Miami from Scotland after a vacation in Orlando, was still a ways away from the entrance when she heard the park was closed.

“We couldn’t go into the fan zone during the day, there was no shade,” Ferguson said. “Now we’re trying to come in tonight but it keeps on closing, which is a shame.”

But the Scottish will still kept up “good vibes in the queue,” she said.