Traffic Cones, Kilts and Bagpipes-How the Tartan Army Has Taken Over Boston
Scottish soccer fans have turned parts of Boston into an unlikely outpost of Glasgow this week, as tens of thousands of supporters-known as the "Tartan Army"-descended on the city for the 2026 World Cup.
Fresh from Scotland's opening win, the celebrations have spilled far beyond stadiums, with kilts, bagpipes and chants echoing through downtown streets, bars and tourist landmarks.
Videos circulating online show fans dancing through the city, filling historic pubs, and even decorating statues with traffic cones in a series of viral moments that have helped define the early atmosphere of the tournament.
A City Turned Scottish
The influx has been hard to miss. From sunrise bagpipe wake-ups to packed Irish and Scottish bars, Boston has effectively been "taken over" by visiting fans in the days around Scotland's opening match.
Tens of thousands are estimated to have traveled to Massachusetts, many basing themselves in the city while matches are played just outside Boston in Foxborough.
@rymcgeary Partying in Boston at 3am with the Tartan Army. Just when I think it can't get better it does! NO SCOTLAND NO PARTY 🏴#tartanarmy#scotland#boston#fifaworldcup#fyp♬ original sound – Ryan McGeary
For locals, the scenes have ranged from surprising to celebratory.
In one video, a Massachusetts local shared videos of the "Tartan Army" in Fenway, adding that it was "the greatest night in forever" as Scottish fans-many in kilts-sang, drank and partied into the night.
Fans have even taken the party onto the water, hiring boats and turning them into floating fan zones-complete with chants and bagpipes that can reportedly be heard echoing around parts of the city as they pass by.
@theclipper483 The Scotland Tartan army boat party is going hard in Boston! 🔥 #worldcup#Scotland#fifaworldcup#footballtiktok♬ original sound – theclipper
Boston resident Mike Morrison has even found himself pulled into the celebrations after documenting the now-viral moment a group of Scottish fans arrived overnight at an Airbnb across from his home, before kicking off Thursday morning with a 6:30 a.m. bagpipe session. "It was my wife who first noted that the house decorations seemed to appear overnight," he told Newsweek, adding that moments later the pipes came out-"which was just amazing to hear."
But what began as a noisy wake-up call quickly turned into a cross-cultural exchange. Morrison decided to cook for the group "to show them some American hospitality," joking: "No Scot goes hungry on my watch." The fans came over to meet his family, brought gifts for his wife and children, and spent the morning chatting and laughing with neighbors. The moment went viral after Morrison shared it online-something he said felt "basically involuntarily instinctual"-and the response unexpectedly led to a Scottish visitor offering him a ticket to the match.
Another moment that has captured attention is the arrival of Scottish fan Craig Ferguson, who was greeted like a hometown hero after completing an extraordinary cross-country journey ahead of the tournament.
Ferguson walked roughly 3,000 miles from Los Angeles to Boston over several months, raising more than $1 million for mental health charities along the way, before being welcomed by crowds of fellow Scotland supporters at Boston Common.
His emotional reception-complete with bagpipes and chants-was a heartwarming moment from the Tartan Army.
Why Boston Statues Have Traffic Cones
Another video shared on social media showed Boston’s 36-foot octopus statue-the 7‑ton bronze sculpture The Arms of Friendship-adorned with traffic cones by Scottish fans. Elsewhere, the equestrian statue of George Washington in Boston's Public Garden was also topped with a cone, while other landmarks, including Paul Revere, have been given the same treatment.
The prank is a nod to a long-running Scottish tradition. The equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington in Glasgow's city center has been regularly "crowned" with a traffic cone since at least the 1980s. What began as a one-off act of mischief evolved into an unofficial symbol of the city-seen by many as a marker of Glasgow's irreverent humor-and has repeatedly been restored by the public even after authorities removed it.
From Fenway to the ‘Cop Slide’
With Scotland not playing every day, fans have turned their attention to the city itself.
On Sunday night, fans marched en masse toward Fenway Park ahead of a Red Sox game, bringing drums, bagpipes and chants into one of baseball's most famous settings.
@mohzifyOnly during the World Cup 😭😭 Creds: MacDowd
♬ LEGACY (main) – PIXY
Others have sought out more offbeat attractions-none more so than Boston's City Hall "cop slide," the location of a 2023 viral video where a Boston police officer was flung down the children's play equipment.
In videos this weekend, Scotland fans in full kit were taking turns to ride the metal structure while crowds cheer them on.
Police have also become part of the unfolding street scenes, with officers seen interacting warmly with fans rather than trying to disperse them. Videos show Scottish supporters chatting with and even playing soccer alongside local officers, while others capture police joining in the atmosphere or posing for photos.
A 36-Year Release
The scale of the celebrations is partly explained by history. Scotland's win over Haiti marked the men's team's first World Cup victory since 1990, ending a 36-year wait and triggering an outpouring among fans who have traveled in large numbers for the tournament.
For many, simply being back on soccer's biggest stage-after decades without qualification-has turned the trip into something extra special for fans.
That energy has translated directly into the atmosphere in Boston, where entire neighborhoods have been woken by early-morning bagpipes and late-night singing.
@poshstrawberry no Scotland no party! #paulrevere#scotland#boston#worldcup#fifa♬ sonido original – @warrior493
The celebrations are expected to continue as Scotland remain in the Boston area for further group-stage matches, with fans showing little sign of slowing down.
Bars remain packed, chants continue to echo through the streets-and if recent days are any guide, more viral moments are likely as the tournament progresses.
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 4:23 AM.