OCEAN STATE 2026 GEARING UP FOR NEXT YEAR’S SUMMER OF SOCCER

OCEAN STATE 2026 GEARING UP FOR NEXT YEAR'S SUMMER OF SOCCER

Published on Wednesday, September 17, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Grace Voll

[email protected]

401-255-0817

OCEAN STATE 2026 GEARING UP FOR NEXT YEAR'S SUMMER OF SOCCER

PRE-APPLICATION FOR EVENT GRANT FUNDING NOW OPEN

PROVIDENCE - As Rhode Island businesses, government officials, and safety experts gear up for a busy summer of tourism in 2026, plans are underway to create a 39-day celebration of soccer, culture, and the arts here in Rhode Island that will be branded as the Rhode Island Summer of Soccer. This statewide effort aims to showcase the rich recreational, cultural, and natural resources that make Rhode Island unique, as the Ocean State prepares to welcome more than 400,000 visitors next summer for international soccer matches at nearby Gillette Stadium.

"We're creating a celebration of Rhode Island," said Ocean State 2026 Chair James Diossa. "We want to recognize all Rhode Islanders who embrace the sport of soccer and feature their food, their art, and their cultural traditions."

"Rhode Island loves soccer. From the Marksmen who won the American Soccer League championship more than 100 years ago to Rhode Island FC, who earned the coveted USL Championship Eastern Conference title last year, our state has passionate spectators and talented players," Diossa said. "While next year's international matches will be taking place right over our border in Massachusetts, we want to embrace the visitors and provide a memorable summer of soccer."

To create a 39-day celebration, Ocean State 2026 is now accepting applications for soccer-related activities and cultural events scheduled between June 13 and July 9, 2026, the duration of the Boston tournament. The pre-application can be found here.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, chambers of commerce, municipalities, business cooperatives, and tourism regions. All applicants must be in (and authorized to do business in) Rhode Island.

Initial proposals must be submitted to Ocean State 2026 by the end of the day, October 5, 2025, to be eligible for funding from $1,000 to $500,000. The number and size of grants will be determined by the pool of potential sponsorship dollars. Grant recipients will be announced and will receive funding in March of 2026.

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About Ocean State 2026: Ocean State 2026 is a non-profit organization that was created to facilitate business sponsorships of 39 days of events across Rhode Island, to entertain soccer fans from around the world, and to celebrate the international matches being played in nearby Massachusetts next summer. Rhode Island General Treasurer James Diossa is the Chair, and Liz Tanner is the Executive Director.

Website: oceanstate26.com

Instagram: OceanState26