How We Transformed New York City into an Unforgettable World Cup Celebration for Raising Cane's

When Raising Cane's came to Studio 790 to bring their 2026 FIFA World Cup Final celebration to life in New York City, the brief was anything but ordinary. They didn't want just another party. They wanted an experience one that guests would be talking about long after the final whistle blew.

We were absolutely here for it.

The Brief: Make It Feel Like Raising Cane's, Everywhere

From the very first conversation, it was clear that Raising Cane's wanted guests to move through each space the way you move through a story, discovering something new around every corner, while feeling completely immersed in the brand the entire time.

Our role wasn't to build from scratch. It was to take beautiful spaces and transform them into something that felt unmistakably, joyfully Raising Cane's. Through lighting, florals, custom styling and branded touchpoints woven into every corner, we turned existing venues into experiences that felt like they couldn't have existed anywhere else or for anyone else.

That's a design challenge we love.

The Entrance Tunnel: Your First Signal That This Is Different

Before guests even arrived, they knew they were somewhere special.

We created an entrance tunnel using pipe and drape inspired by the experience of players walking onto the field before a match. Floor-to-ceiling red fabric draped overhead and on both sides, candlelight lining the path and the Raising Cane's logo projected directly onto the draping as guests moved through it.

That tunnel set the tone immediately dramatic, immersive and completely on-brand. From that first step, guests knew this was not going to be a typical night. And honestly? It's one of our favorite moments of the entire project.

Getting Creative With What's Already There

Here's something we genuinely love about event design: we don't always start with a blank canvas and honestly, that's part of the fun.

Walking into a venue for the first time is one of our favorite moments. We get to take in what's already there, the architecture, the textures, the bones of the space and let it inspire us. What does this room want to be? What does it need? How do we layer in lighting, florals, styling and brand moments in a way that feels completely intentional, like it was always meant to look exactly like this?

That creative challenge is where Studio 790 thrives. We don't fight the space. We work with it and then we elevate it into something that feels like it couldn't exist anywhere else.

The Details That Made it a Destination

The venues came with their own bones. We came with the details that made them feel like a destination.

Red accent lighting cast a warm glow that completely shifted the energy of every room. Custom branded pillows, red florals and carefully styled shelving filled with sports memorabilia, books, disco balls and collectibles nodded to both soccer culture and Cane's personality turning every surface into a branded moment without ever feeling heavy-handed.

Step-and-repeat backdrops, neon signage, custom AV and branded graphics carried the identity throughout every corner of every space. Every touchpoint was intentional. Every detail reinforced the brand in an elevated way. Nothing felt like an afterthought.

Two Nights. One Unforgettable Experience.

Over the course of the weekend, guests experienced two distinct moments each with its own energy, its own environment and its own story to tell. A celebration one night. An intimate dinner the next. Both unmistakably Raising Cane's. Both completely Studio 790.

That's the thing about great event design it's not just about how a space looks. It's about how it feels from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave. And every single moment in between.

What This Project Taught Us

Designing a brand hospitality experience is fundamentally about storytelling. With a home, you're designing around one family's life. With an event like this, you're telling the story of a brand and you have one night to make it unforgettable.

But our approach doesn't really change. We always ask ourselves: how do we want this space to feel? What's the story guests are going to experience as they move through it? Beauty is always part of that story and so are the layers that bring it to life. Florals, lighting, custom details, branded moments. We never want it to feel like a rented event space. We want it to feel like an experience that couldn't exist anywhere else.

For us, the moment we knew we'd gotten it right was watching guests walk in, immediately start exploring, taking photos and interacting with the environment exactly the way we'd imagined. That's when you stop seeing individual design decisions and start experiencing the story you've been designing all along.

That's what we design for. Every single time.

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From South Florida to New York City, we bring the same intention, craftsmanship and heart to every project. Ready to get started? Connect with us to get started on your next project.