Seattle’s waterfront is set to transform into a floating soccer festival during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, complete with a mini pitch built atop a barge in Elliott Bay.
Seattle Reign FC, Seattle Sounders FC, and the RAVE Foundation announced Wednesday plans for “Seattle Soccer Celebration,” a weeks-long waterfront fan experience centered around Pier 62 and Waterfront Park in downtown Seattle.
The event will run from June 11 through July 6 during the World Cup and will feature live match broadcasts, public fan zones, music, food, youth soccer events, and a floating soccer field docked along the waterfront.
Organizers said the custom-built floating pitch will sit atop a maritime vessel near Pier 62 and serve as both a fan attraction and community gathering space throughout the tournament.
“This is a defining moment for our city and our clubs,” said Hugh Weber, president of business operations for Seattle’s professional soccer clubs. “Seattle Soccer Celebration is more than a fan experience, it’s a global expression of who we are and what we believe sport can do.”
According to organizers, fans will be able to watch live World Cup matches on a large waterfront LED screen while participating in soccer-themed activities and cultural programming designed to highlight Seattle’s connection to the global sport.
The waterfront activation is expected to host as many as 100,000 visitors over the course of the tournament, club officials said.
The project is being developed alongside the RAVE Foundation and Friends of Waterfront Park. Organizers said the floating field will symbolically serve as the 52nd mini-pitch in RAVE Foundation’s statewide effort to build 52 free community soccer fields in underserved areas before the World Cup arrives.
Friends of Waterfront Park also confirmed the Seattle waterfront will operate as one of the city’s official free FIFA World Cup fan celebration sites.
In addition to free public programming, the event will also include premium ticketed spaces and corporate activations involving partners like Starbucks and Edward Jones, according to organizers.
Seattle is one of 16 host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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