Preparations are under way in Seattle for the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 matches, which will be held at Lumen Field (renamed Seattle Stadium for the tournament). City and state agencies have announced a temporary pause on some construction works, changes to motorway traffic, additional public transport options and a series of summer events.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has revived its summer fortnightly “Travel Tips” feature, which summarises planned repairs, traffic restrictions, major events and useful transport services. A separate section is dedicated to preparations for the World Cup and the #WCSeattle series.
From 8 June to 7 July there will be a temporary pause on construction in key parts of the city to make it easier to get around during the football matches. Preparatory works are already under way, including on the RapidRide J Line project, where machinery and materials are being removed from the streets.
In the north of the city, the NE 130th St & NE 125th St Mobility and Safety Project continues. For the week beginning 8 June, plans include reopening both directions of NE 130th St/NE 125th St between 1st Ave NE and Lake City Way NE, closing the section of Roosevelt Way NE south of NE 125th St, and restrictions on 1st Ave NE with diversions in place. Works include pouring concrete for the carriageway and pavements, utility works and surveying. Similar works will continue in the week beginning 15 June.
On 10 June, another closure of the 15th Ave NE & NE 105th St bridge is planned as part of seismic upgrades. The bridge will be closed from 9:00 to 17:00 for concrete work on a crossbeam, but access to homes on 15th Ave NE between NE 104th St and NE 105th St will remain available, and pedestrians and people with limited mobility will still be able to cross the bridge.
On 30th Ave NE between NE 125th St and Lake City Way NE, works are continuing to prepare for the launch of the new Metro Route 77 bus service. The carriageway surface is being renewed, drainage improved, a new pavement is being built on the eastern side, new stops are being installed near the junction with Lake City Way NE, and pedestrian crossings are being upgraded. Once the works are complete, residents will have faster access to the future Sound Transit Pinehurst station and other routes.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), as part of the Revive I-5 project, is preparing for a pause during the World Cup. For the weekend of 5–8 June, a full closure of the northbound Interstate 5 from I-90 to Northeast 45th Street is planned to remove the work zone.
The first of six World Cup matches in Seattle will take place on 15 June at noon Pacific Time, when Belgium and Egypt (Group G) meet at Seattle Stadium. The city has also announced that more than 1,400 local children and carers will have the opportunity to attend World Cup 2026 matches.
Beyond football, the city has a packed sporting calendar: at Climate Pledge Arena, the Seattle Storm women’s basketball team are playing their home games, while the Seattle Mariners baseball club are hosting the Baltimore Orioles. Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC do not have home fixtures during this period.
From 4 June to 8 August 2026, the ARTS at King Street Station space is hosting an exhibition from the SDOT Bridge Artists in Residence programme. Animators Vivian Cho and Freyja Whitney, who worked in the Fremont and University bridge towers, are presenting works dedicated to Seattle’s bridges and communities. The exhibition opened on 4 June during the traditional First Thursday Art Walk in the Pioneer Square neighbourhood.
Throughout June, dozens of cultural and community events are planned across the city: art walks in Pioneer Square, West Seattle and Capitol Hill; the Beacon Hill Festival; Delridge Farmers Market; Indigenous People Festival 2026; Georgetown Carnival; a series of events in Little Saigon; street markets; and open-air screenings of World Cup matches in the Chinatown-International District.
A range of transport services is also being rolled out for the summer. Free shuttles along Seattle’s waterfront will run through Labour Day. They are operated by King County Metro with financial support from SeattleFWC26 and the City of Seattle. The routes link key locations in the city centre: Seattle Center and the Space Needle, Olympic Sculpture Park, Pike Place Market, Waterfront Park, Pioneer Square, Seattle Stadium, the Chinatown-International District and the ferry terminal.
The Trailhead Direct service is once again providing bus trips to popular hiking trails in the Issaquah Alps and on Mount Si along the I-90 corridor. The programme is run by King County Metro together with King County Parks and SDOT, with half of operating costs in 2026 covered by the Seattle Transit Measure.
Near Seattle Center, a new protected cycle lane with artistic barriers has opened, and on Thomas St (Thomas St – Phase 2: Plaza project) to the east of the complex, a new shared path for people walking and cycling has been created. After the World Cup, street furniture and greenery will be added here. SDOT notes that since 2014, when the first protected cycle lane opened on 2nd Ave, the cycle network in the city centre has expanded significantly.
In the Chinatown-International District and Little Saigon areas, new pedestrian lighting has been installed to improve safety and accessibility. Artistic banners have also appeared on lamp posts, with designs selected through a competition organised by the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA). SDOT provided financial support for this project as part of the Downtown Activation Plan.
The city’s transport department is encouraging residents and visitors to Seattle to follow updates on the official blog, on social media and on the interactive travel map, where up-to-date information is published on closures, diversions and public transport operations in summer 2026.