SEATTLE (AP) — Few cities in North America can lay claim to better summer weather than Seattle, neatly nestled in the Pacific Northwest with sunny skies and little humidity after Memorial Day.
But the Emerald City, which will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history, is a destination city for more reasons beyond its temperate climate.
A trip to Seattle is not complete without a visit to the Space Needle, which underwent a $100 million remodel in 2018. Pike Place Market, one of the oldest continuously operating public farmers markets in the United States, is always hopping with tourists and locals alike. Both Gas Works Park and Kerry Park offer panoramic views of the city.
Not many metro areas can top Seattle’s abundance of seafood restaurants, which range from dive bars that serve fresh oysters to fine establishments that offer Alaskan King crab legs. There are plenty of Japanese and Hawaiian restaurants in the area, too, many of which specialize in fresh sushi rolls and chicken teriyaki, respectively. Any evening is best topped off with a visit to Molly Moon’s ice cream, a local’s favorite.
Outside of Seattle, there will be nine fan zones scattered across the state of Washington: in Bellingham, Bremerton, Everett, Olympia, Tacoma, Spokane, Pasco, Vancouver and Yakima. They all vary considerably in what they will offer, and where they will take place. Spokane’s fan zone is located on an island in the middle of the Spokane River. The Puyallup Tribal Headquarters, meanwhile, will host Tacoma’s fan zone.
Seattle has a public transportation system that is among the better ones in the United States. The Link, a light rail system in the Seattle metropolitan area, has the “1 line,” which stops at Stadium station, located just a couple blocks away from Seattle Stadium. Special “Sounder game trains” traveling from north and south of Seattle will operate to and from King Street Station, which is across the street from Seattle Stadium.
Few stadiums in North America get quite as loud as Seattle Stadium, which has changed its name from its usual moniker (Lumen Field) for the World Cup. The 67,000-seat, open-air stadium has exposed views to the north and south, the former of which offers glimpses of downtown Seattle. In April, a grass field was installed at Seattle Stadium, which typically uses an artificial turf for Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC games.
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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