ABOUT
Seattle sits dramatically between Puget Sound and the Cascade Mountains, giving it some of the most spectacular natural scenery of any American city. Famous for pioneering coffee culture, grunge music, and the tech industry, it also offers outstanding seafood, a thriving arts scene, and easy access to breathtaking nature.
Seattle Sounders FC are one of the greatest supporter stories in American football – drawing MLS's highest average attendances and filling Lumen Field with 40,000+ fans while winning multiple MLS Cups. Combined with Seattle's extraordinary food scene, coffee culture and stunning Pacific Northwest setting, this is one of North America's must-visit football destinations.
The Seattle Sounders joined MLS in 2009 and immediately set the league alight, recording the highest inaugural season attendance in MLS history. Since then, they've become the league's gold standard for supporter culture and competitive football, winning the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019 and lifting the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2022 – making them the first MLS club to win North America's premier continental club competition.
Lumen Field – shared with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks – is renowned as one of the loudest stadiums in American sport, and the Sounders regularly draw 40,000+ fans. The march from Occidental Park to the stadium, led by supporter group the Emerald City Supporters, is one of football's great pre-match traditions.
Seattle
Getting FIFA World Cup 2026 Tickets
Tickets and ticket prices have been much of the talk for the World Cup, so far. Because of the high prices for the World Cup, it means there are still tickets available for most games.
This is the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 teams and 104 matches through the tournament, running from 11th June to 19th July. Here's everything you need to know.
Official channels first.
The Last-Minute Sales Phase launched on 1st April and runs through until the end of the tournament. Unlike earlier lottery phases, tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis with instant confirmation. Your FIFA ID needs to be active and payment details saved in advance, as inventory for high-profile matches in cities like New York and Los Angeles sells out within minutes of being released. All purchases go through FIFA.com/tickets.
The official resale route.
The FIFA Resale/Exchange Marketplace reopened on April 2 and remains open until one hour before each match's kick-off. Availability can be very limited, with tickets appearing sporadically, so best advice is to check frequently and act quickly. All transactions and ticket transfers are handled by FIFA, keeping the tickets digital throughout. There is no limit on the mark-up on tickets, so prices can vary. However, with dynamic pricing, there's always a chance some tickets get cheaper nearer to the game.
Third-party resale — proceed with caution.
Platforms like StubHub, Viagogo, and SeatGeek operate legally in many markets but are not recognised by FIFA as valid resale channels. FIFA has made clear that tickets bought outside the official system may be invalid or cancelled. FIFA has placed no restrictions on resale pricing, which has caused significant controversy — particularly for the final, where prices are expected to be extremely high.
Lumen Field offers stadium tours covering both the Sounders' and Seahawks' history in the venue. The experience includes access to the field level, the home and visitor locker rooms, the press box, the luxury suites and the players' tunnel. Given the Sounders' remarkable history – including their CONCACAF Champions Cup win – the tour provides an excellent overview of the club's rise to continental eminence.
Tours run on selected non-event days and should be booked online in advance. Group tours for school parties and corporate groups can be arranged via the Lumen Field website. The club's museum and Sounders FC history exhibit is accessible as part of the tour experience.
Full details: soundersfc.com or seahawks.com/lumenfield
Address: Lumen Field, 800 Occidental Ave S, Seattle WA 98134
FAN ZONE: Seattle Fan Celebrations — Seattle Center, Waterfront Park, Pacific Place and SODO
Seattle is also using a distributed fan-celebration model. From June 11, fans can gather at locations along the city’s Unity Loop, including Seattle Center, Waterfront Park, Pacific Place and Victory Hall in SODO. Expect match screenings, cultural programming, food, music and a strong Sounders/Reign football flavour. There are also official fan zones across Washington State, extending the tournament beyond the city centre.
Cost: Seattle’s fan experiences are free and open to the public. Some venues may still require capacity management or digital information closer to matchdays.
The only hotel that sits over the water in Seattle, The Edgewater is a genuine icon – legendarily the hotel where the Beatles famously fished from their windows in 1964.
A well-regarded boutique hotel in Belltown with excellent access to the Pike Place Market, the waterfront and Lumen Field.
A design-conscious, technology-forward hotel with great views and a fun bar. Well connected to both the stadium area and the rest of the city via Link Light Rail and bus services.
A well-located hostel in the historic American Hotel building in Pioneer Square, within easy walking distance of Lumen Field. The most affordable option close to the stadium.
PACIFIC SALMON, OYSTERS AND COFFEE
Seattle's food scene is defined by access to some of the finest ingredients in the world. Wild Pacific salmon – chinook, sockeye, and coho – from the rivers and ocean surrounding the city is the defining local ingredient, available smoked, grilled, cured and in chowder across hundreds of restaurants. Dungeness crab, Olympia oysters, geoduck clams, spot prawns, and Rainier cherries are other Pacific Northwest treasures that shape the city's cooking.
Pike Place Market, open since 1907, is the heart of the city's food culture – a working farmers' market and restaurant incubator that has fed Seattle for over a century. The famous fish-throwing stall is as much a performance as a market stall, but the quality of the produce throughout the market is exceptional.
Seattle's coffee culture is globally renowned and a daily institution for residents – the city has more coffee shops per capita than almost anywhere in the world, and the quality of espresso-based drinks is consistently high. Beyond Starbucks (which opened its first store here in 1971), the independent coffee scene – Victrola, Caffe Vita, Lighthouse Roasters – sets a standard that's hard to match anywhere.
Consistently voted America's best clam chowder, Pike Place Chowder is a Seattle essential. The New England clam chowder and salmon chowder are extraordinary.
Seattle's most famous restaurant, Canlis has been serving exceptional Pacific Northwest food with stunning lake views since 1950. The menu changes seasonally. Book months ahead.
Paseo serves Cuban sandwiches in a tiny space. The roasted pork sandwich with aioli and caramelised onions is one of Seattle's defining dishes. Worth every minute of the queue.
Excellent burgers, wings and hot dogs a stone's throw from the stadium. A great place for food before the match.
CRAFT BEERS AND COFFEE
Seattle's drinking culture is as distinctive as the city itself, shaped by the Pacific Northwest's craft brewing heritage, its coffee obsession and a cocktail scene that has quietly become one of America's finest. The craft beer movement has particularly deep roots here – Elysian, Pike Brewing, Georgetown Brewing, Redhook and dozens of smaller producers make the Seattle area one of the most productive brewing regions in the USA.
The Pacific Northwest IPA – hoppy, citrus-forward, intensely aromatic – is the dominant local style, reflecting the region's proximity to the Yakima Valley, which grows a significant proportion of the world's hops. Stout, porter and sour ales are also well-represented on Seattle tap lists.
The cocktail scene has been transformed in the last decade, with bars like Canon, Vessel and the Zig Zag Café achieving national recognition. Seattle bartenders have a reputation for ingredient-driven, technically precise drinks that reflect the Pacific Northwest's seasonal bounty – foraged mushrooms, spruce tips, local honey and Bainbridge Island whiskey all find their way onto ambitious menus. Coffee remains a constant presence in Seattle culture – post-match espresso is as normal as post-match beer.
The George and Dragon is an English football pub in Fremont that is known for hosting early morning matches. It regularly hosts Chelsea and Man City supporter groups.
Sluggers is a baseball-themed sports bar and restaurant near to Lumen Field - a great spot to drink before the game.
Pike Brewing has been making outstanding craft beers below Pike Place Market since 1989. The taproom and restaurant are open daily and offer a great range of beers.
One of the most extraordinary whiskey and spirits bars in America, Canon on Capitol Hill stocks over 4,000 bottles and has won multiple awards for its cocktail programme.
Seattle is one of America's most compelling and distinctive cities – a Pacific Northwest metropolis of 750,000 on the shore of Puget Sound, surrounded by Cascades mountain wilderness and with a creative energy shaped by its role as the birthplace of grunge, the global coffee revolution and much of the modern technology industry. Rain-soaked, outdoors-obsessed and intensely proud of its local culture, Seattle is a city that rewards explorers willing to look beyond the tourist trail.
CURRENCY: US DOLLARS
The Space Needle is Seattle's most recognisable landmark and the views from the observation deck are epic. The glass floor observation experience is great fun.
One of America's great food markets, Pike Place has been feeding Seattle since 1907. The famous flying fish, the original Starbucks store, and the Gum Wall make it a must-see.
Frank Gehry's extraordinary building at Seattle Center houses one of the world's finest pop culture museums, with outstanding exhibits on locals Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and more.
The 14,411-foot volcano visible from Seattle on clear days is one of America's great national parks. Day trips from Seattle allow access to natural beauty all-year-round.