SEATTLE — Seattle is a city that loves its sports – and that’s good news not just for sports fans, but for anyone who enjoys connecting with a city’s passions while on holiday.

Seattle is already well-known for active travel, from its scenic hikes, to whale watching, to biking, skiing and more.

But did you also know that Seattle is home to professional baseball, football, soccer and hockey teams too? Fans of the MLB, NFL, MLS and NHL will all find great games happening in Seattle. The WBNA’s Seattle Storm play here too. And post-game celebrations are an ideal excuse to check out Seattle’s thriving craft brewery scene.

Says Visit Seattle’s Tourism Manager, Caitlyn Shearer: “Seattle fans are die-hard! The energy that vibrates through the city on game day, and the noise that comes from the Stadium District, is second to none!”

Shearer adds that Seattle’s connectivity is a wonderful asset for visiting sports fans. “From the Water Taxi to the Link Light Rail (or Monorail if you’re already downtown), you can be at any one of the city’s major sports venues in a matter of minutes.”

Here’s a look at Seattle’s sports scene, including a look at the venues that the city’s sports teams call home…

CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA – NHL’s SEATTLE KRAKEN & WNBA’s SEATTLE STORM

Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena is home to the Seattle Kraken, new to the NHL as of April 2021. The arena, just like the team, is brand new, opening in fall 2021. Climate Pledge Arena is also home to WBNA’s Seattle Storm.

The current owners, along with the City of Seattle, invested US$1.1 billion into Climate Pledge Arena, making it a major sports and performance venue. While sports are a major draw, the venue was purpose-built for music first (and the list of upcoming concerts here includes plenty of big names).

Climate Pledge Arena, home to the Seattle Kraken and Seattle Storm (credit Michael Dyrland)

As you might have guessed from the name, Climate Pledge Arena is all about sustainability, and it’s billed as the first net zero carbon building in the world. Working together with Climate Pledge and the Amazon Group, a complete redesign was implemented mid-construction. By 2023 single use plastics will be gone. There’s a rain/rink system where rainwater is collected in a cistern and used to make the ice. Plus, the building is powered by onsite solar panels.

Investment in electronics was a top priority and the arena holds 28,000 square feet of LED boards – the most in any current venue around the country today. The living wall, located along the arena’s main concourse, offers a lush backdrop and is a symbol of its net-zero mission. It features 27 different species of plants and is the arena’s most Instagrammable spot!

LUMEN FIELD – NFL’s SEATTLE SEAHAWKS & MLS’s SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Lumen Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle’s SODO (‘South of Downtown’) neighbourhood. It has a seating capacity of 69,500 and it’s the home field for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLS’s Seattle Sounders.

The Seahawks are a big draw for Canadians, who currently make up more than 3,000 season ticket holders.

Here’s a fun fact: Seattle fans at Lumen Field set a Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd roar in 2013 after hitting a nerve-wracking 137.6 decibels. It’s since been considered the loudest stadium!

T-Mobile Park

T-MOBILE PARK – MLB’s SEATTLE MARINERS

Another big draw for sports fans to the city is baseball. T-Mobile Park is the home field of the Seattle Mariners and has a seating capacity of close to 49,000 complete with a retractable roof. It’s also located in the SODO neighbourhood.

HUSKY STADIUM – WASHINGTON HUSKIES

College football is a huge draw in the community. The University of Washington is home to the Washington Huskies college football team who play at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium.

College football fans will get a kick out of ‘sailgating’. An authentic Seattle experience, it puts the sports tradition of a tailgate party on a sailboat. Sailgaters don their purple Husky gear and enjoy food, drinks, games and more.

For more details about all things Seattle and sports, see visitseattle.org/things-to-do/spectator-sports/.