Catch World Cup Fever Across the Pacific Northwest | Features

A version of this article originally appeared in our sister publication, Northwest Travel & Life. 

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By the time you read this, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and the rest of the world’s top men’s soccer players will be just weeks away from arriving in North America for one of the biggest events in sports history: FIFA World Cup 26™. Ever since Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates lifted the trophy at the end of the 2022 tournament, players from across the globe have spent years preparing for this moment — one firmly rooted, for the first time ever, in the Pacific Northwest.

A number of matches featuring the United States, Canada, and several other national teams will take place in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., this June and July. It will mark the first time that men’s World Cup matches have been played in our corner of the world since the event’s inception in 1930. When those matches kick off, they’ll herald a new chapter in the region’s collective love affair with what’s called “the beautiful game.” Inside packed stadiums, fans from around the world will chant, sing and exhort their teams to victory. After the final whistle, they’ll congregate for watch parties, visit some of the Pacific Northwest’s top sites and make memories that last well after the tournament ends in mid-July. Whether you’ve finagled your way into a ticket or are simply to revel in the joyful atmosphere, it will be an unforgettable experience — one the region has never felt before.

So, with kickoff mere days away: Scarves up, soccer fans. The biggest tournament in sports is at your doorstep, and it’s your time to shine. Here’s how to soak up every second of a soccer-filled summer in the Pacific Northwest.

Fan Zones Showcase Communities, Cultures of Washington 

SeattleFWC26, the city’s World Cup organizing committee, is leading a number of citywide festivities throughout the tournament. The fun includes watch parties and family-friendly activities at Seattle Center, public events at Waterfront Park on the shores of Elliott Bay, watch parties on a brand-new LED screen at Pacific Place downtown, and viewing parties at the Victory Hall event venue across from Lumen Field (renamed Seattle Stadium for the tournament).

The committee has also partnered with nine Washington communities to host Fan Zones across the state. Each Fan Zone looks a little different to reflect the city it’s held in. For example, Bellingham’s will revolve around Kulshan Brewing Company’s Trackside Beer Garden, which sits just a Christian Pulisic inswinger from the shores of Bellingham Bay and is surrounded by local food vendors, a mini golf course, and an outfitter offering bike and e-bike rentals in the middle of The Portal Container Village. The Tacoma Fan Zone, meanwhile, is hosted by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians — and each watch party is accompanied by songs, dancing and videos that share the tribe’s culture and rich heritage.

If your summer travels bring you to Seattle or any of the nine cities selected to host Fan Zones — the complete list includes Bellingham, Bremerton, Everett, the Olympia/Lacey area, Tacoma, Tri- Cities, Spokane, Vancouver, and Yakima. Some cities are highlighting local pubs that host free watch parties, while other communities may put on family-friendly activities, concerts, and additional events as part of their own celebrations.

Watch Parties Keep the Party Going in Vancouver

VancouverFWC26, the city’s host committee, is spearheading the FIFA Fan Festival™ at the PNE grounds at Hastings Park. The heart of the festival will be watch parties that seat up to 10,000 in the Freedom Mobile Arch amphitheater, distinguished by a massive timber canopy that offers plenty of shade. Fans can expect local food and drink vendors, live performances from Canadian artists, and other festivities.

Seattle Fun Includes Behind-the-Scenes Tours, Museums, and More

If you head to Seattle to celebrate soccer, try experiencing the area like a tourist. After all, the red carpets will be rolling out for our out-of-town guests. If you’re planning a visit to Pike Place Market, for instance, consider doing so with guidance from Savor Seattle. The long-running outfitter offers behindthe- scenes, small-group tours that include samples from eight vendors and fascinating insights into the market’s nearly 120-year history. You might learn a lot even if you’ve been there dozens of times.

If you’re catching a match at Seattle Center, we wouldn’t blame you for basking in 360-degree views from atop the iconic Space Needle — which towers over where World Cup watch parties will be held. Once you’re back on ground level, however, pay a visit to Chihuly Garden & Glass, a museum dedicated to colorful works from Puget Sound legend Dale Chihuly. And that curvy, metallic building you likely passed on your way into Seattle Center? That’s the Museum of Pop Culture, a veritable cathedral to groundbreaking music, video games, movies, and the many ways that media have impacted our lives for decades.

Curious about how Seattle grew into, well, Seattle? Get acquainted with the city by heading to the southern shore of Lake Union and perusing the exhibits at the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI — shortened and pronounced locally as “mo-high”).

The museum traces thousands of years of Puget Sound history across four floors, paying tribute to Indigenous groups who have lived in the region since time immemorial; the repercussions of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair; and how the city’s landscape was literally shaped to accommodate the city’s explosive, early population growth. The museum frequently approaches the past from an interactive or hands-on perspective — using a 3-D model to help visualize the city’s shifting landforms, for instance, or by showing an irreverent short film that details the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 from the perspective of objects that survived the blaze.

Embrace the Natural Beauty of Vancouver with Tours, Forest Outings

If you are visiting Vancouver, we’re guessing that you’ve already looked into some of the city’s top sites, like Stanley Park. One of the world’s largest urban greenspaces occupies more than 1,000 acres at the western edge of Vancouver, where Vancouver Harbour meets English Bay, and is home to several weeks’ worth of attractions, including hiking trails and the Vancouver Aquarium, in the midst of a lush rainforest.

Take a deeper dive into the park’s history and beauty with Talaysay Tours, owned and operated by a mother-daughter duo and members of the Shíshálh (Sechelt) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) nations. The outfitter’s Talking Trees tour shows how Indigenous people have interacted with the land for thousands of years, while the Talking Totems tour explores the artwork of Pacific Northwest Indigenous communities.

If you’d like to go farther afield and don’t mind a few thrills, look into a day trip to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. There, you’ll enjoy up-close views of the Pacific Northwest’s natural beauty from several immersive attractions. Highlights include a wobbly, though wholly safe, suspension bridge that measures 450 feet long and stands more than 200 feet above the Capilano River, a 700-foot-long catwalk that hugs a rugged cliff in Capilano Canyon, and the Treetops Adventure that follows boardwalks from tree to tree more than 100 feet up in the forest canopy. If you’re going car-free, complimentary shuttle service from downtown Vancouver is available.

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Getting Around

Washington Traffic: If you’re attending matches in Seattle, visit the Washington State Department of Transportation here for updated traffic conditions, construction updates, border crossing wait times, and more. The agency also offers a free mobile app.

BC Traffic: If your travels take you to Vancouver and broader British Columbia, visit DriveBC for a detailed map with closures, delays, traffic cameras, road conditions, ferry schedules, and more. 

Mass Transit: Whenever possible, consider taking mass transit. Seattle and Vancouver boast robust mass transit systems served by buses, light rails, and trains for an easy, convenient experience. Get the skinny on all your options from Visit Seattle or Destination Vancouver.