The radio hosts claim that the Tartan Army are doing a ‘fantastic’ job in their town
The Tartan Army has left a Boston radio station stunned as the city runs out of beer(Photo: Tony Nicoletti)
The Tartan army have made a thunderous impression during their stay in Boston for the 2026 World Cup, turning parts of the city into a massive party as Scotland supporters continue to support their team in the tournament.
Scotland got their group campaign off to the perfect start with a 1-0 win over Haiti on 13 June at Boston Stadium. The victory sparked huge celebrations among supporters who have remained in Boston ahead of their next game against Morocco on Friday 19 June.
With fans staying in town between games celebrations has only continued throughout Boston, and local businesses are beginning to feel the impact. A viral TikTok clip from Boston sports radio station WEEI Sports captured the scale of the Scottish presence, with the three broadcasters reacting in disbelief at how quickly the city has been transformed.
A radio host shared a quote from the CEO of Hennessy’s Bar i downtown Bostonwho said the scale of the Tartan Army was unlike anything she had seen in decades.
Echoing the bar owner’s quote, she said: “We’ve been here for over 30 years. We’ve never seen anything like it. We tripled St Patrick’s Day weekend with the Scottish visitors. They brought back fun that was lost.”
Demand proved so intense that the radio hosts said that on Sunday night the bar was completely sold out of beer, forcing emergency storage ahead of the next Scotland game on Friday.
The clip went on to highlight similar scenes elsewhere in the city, with Federal Wine and Spirits also reporting rapid sales of popular beer brands. The radio hosts then went on to recall a moment that summed up the Tartan Army in Boston, saying: “A patron came in and bought two bottles of water and 20 Scottish shoppers inside the store booed her.”
The radio station then burst into fits of laughter at the story, with one host simply replying: “There’s a lot of fun.”
As the discussion continued, the hosts reflected on the wider influence of Scotland fans, suggesting that the city had adapted in a positive way to the Tartan Army.
“It’s part of a feel-good story, and since this is a big party that’s doing very well for the city, it loosens us up a bit,” the host added.
Another added that restrictions around nightlife, shopping and travel felt more relaxed during major events like this and that the overall effect had been overwhelmingly positive.
“I think that kind of shows that if people get a chance to celebrate, it’s good for business, everyone’s having a great time. It’s not chaos in the streets,” she said.
As one host summed up the mood by simply saying, “There parties haven’t bothered me at once. The people of Scotland, the people of Boston have done a great job.”
The broadcasters then went on to draw comparisons to Boston’s own sports history, comparing the Tartan Army’s traveling support to Patriots fans during their earliest Super Bowl run.
As one of the hosts said, “They go into town, they love their team. You kind of get it as a Patriots fan because it’s been 28 years since they’ve been in a World Cup. And it’s almost like the first Super Bowl where Patriots fans all went to New Orleans.”
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They continued: “But they’ve taken over the city in a fantastic way and it’s more than Hennessy’s, there are several bars that apparently ran out of beer this weekend, which has never happened in the city.”
The comments section on TikTok was filled with Scots at home as they shared their thoughts on the bars running out of booze. With one Scottish user writing: “In Scotland you can’t buy alcohol between 10pm and 10am unless it’s in a licensed venue. We’re also not allowed to drink alcohol at football matches. It’s a big thing for us to be able to drink when we want.”
As another agreed, adding: “Just to be clear, we’re like this all the time, this isn’t just a World Cup thing. We’ll celebrate anything.”
Meanwhile, Bostonians have welcomed the Tartan Army with open arms, as one American said in the comments: “Coming from someone who lives in Boston, we want the Tartan Army back every year!”
On another dime: “Boston certainly won during this World Cup as a city that hosted Scotland in 2 group games.”
