Minneapolis theater finds a crowd for World Cup screenings
The Riverview Theater in Minneapolis has been showing films and special screenings since the late 1940s. But it found a new program to run — the 2019 Women's World Cup.
The 700-seat theater offered screenings of the international tournament since it began in June and will continue to stream games. The Riverview hosted all the U.S. Women's National Team games so far.
Lucy Elliott lives a few blocks away from the theater and says that she appreciates events like this.
"Soccer is one of the best all-round universal kind of game there is," she said. "I'm not a real sports fanatic by any means, but I love that the Riverview provides this for the community."
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Admission is free for the soccer games, but seats fill up fast. On June 28, over 530 people came to see Team USA play against host country France.
"The final — we'll have 700 people for sure," said theater worker Dan Oldre. "We always do. All World Cups, we have to turn away people."
The USWNT had a dominating path in the tournament so far, with convincing wins over Thailand, Chile and Sweden. With their recent 2-1 win over France, the U.S. will face England in the semifinals.
The next showing of the World Cup is U.S. vs. England on July 2. More information on showings can be found here on the Riverview Theater's site.