Fresh from hosting the World Cup, which brought more than three million people to the city, Seattle is proving itself a heavyweight sporting destination. With teams spanning everything from American football and basketball to baseball, ice hockey, soccer and rugby, there’s live sport to experience almost year-round.
Better still, Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park are around a 20-minute walk from downtown, while new hotel openings are giving sports fans even more places to stay close to the action. And with two-thirds of Britons having attended a live sporting event, according to YouGov, Seattle makes a compelling choice for a sports-led city break.
Catch the Reigning Super Bowl Champs in Action
The Emerald City had plenty to celebrate last year when the Seattle Seahawks were crowned Super Bowl champions. But it’s the fans who make catching a game truly special. Known internationally as the 12s, they’ve generated a record-breaking 137.6 decibels of noise – roughly equivalent to a jet engine at take-off.
More than spectators, the 12s are considered a genuine home advantage, helping spur the team on from the stands. The Seahawks play their home games at Lumen Field, with the regular season running from September to January.
Seattle’s Championship-Winning Storm
Seattle is also one of America’s standout cities for women’s sport. A powerhouse in the WNBA, Seattle Storm has qualified for 16 playoff appearances and won four championships since its establishment in 2000. Formed under an all-female ownership team, and one of only two teams never to have lost a WNBA Finals, previous star players include Sue Bird, Betty Lennox and Lauren Jackson. The team plays at Climate Pledge Arena, with the regular season running from May to September.
Reigning with a Purpose
Helping to establish Seattle as a leading city for women’s sport, Seattle Reign FC was one of the eight founding teams in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), and has since reached the NWSL Championship three times. Active both on and off the pitch, the team maintains a triad of core goals: to advance equity in play and life, to protect the Salish Sea, and to champion the power of girls, women and gender diverse people. Seattle Reign’s commitment to their game and their community makes them a team to be proud to support. From March to October, the team plays at Lumen Field.
Breaking Records on the Ice
A mighty force on the rink, Seattle’s Torrents began playing in the Professional Women’s Hockey League last season, notably breaking the record for highest attendance at a U.S. professional Women’s hockey game in their match against the New York Sirens. With an average game drawing in almost 13,000 fans, the Torrents rank first in the league for spectators in the stands, making watching their games an absolute thrill. Players from the Torrent roster also competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics and brought home gold.
Skating Towards a Greener Future
Since entering the NHL in 2021, the Seattle Kraken ice hockey team have given the city a new winter sporting ritual, with sustainability part of the team’s story from the start. Games take place at Climate Pledge Arena from October to April, and the venue is an attraction in its own right. , As the world’s first arena to achieve net-zero carbon certification, it is powered entirely by renewable electricity, collects rainwater from its roof to create the ice beneath the players’ skates and is working towards zero waste. For sports fans, it means all the excitement of an NHL game in a venue that’s helping to make live sport more sustainable.
Baseball by the Bay
The Seattle Mariners have been entertaining the city’s baseball fans since 1977, with their inaugural game at T-Mobile Park in July 1999, and coming close to making the World Series for the first time last year. With spectacular views over the Seattle skyline and sunsets over Puget Sound, watching the Seattle Mariners gives fans an experience unparalleled in Major League Baseball. Spend a day enjoying America’s national pastime, complete with cheering, chanting, ballpark food and $6 beers. What’s not to love?
Rugby, Reimagined
Rugby might not be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to American sports, but the city hasa team of its own. The Seattle Seawolves joined Major League Rugby in 2018 and made an immediate impact, winning the league’s inaugural championship.. The team plays at Starfire Sports, roughly 12 miles (19 km) south of Seattle in Tukwila, where game day extends beyond the pitch, with lawn games, happy hours and player meet-and-greets. The season runs from February to June.
Where to stay
For sports fans wanting a convenient base for hopping between games and attractions, Seattle’s famously walkable downtown makes it easy to experience the action. The Emerald City also has some exciting new accommodation developments on the horizon:
Opening in early 2027 in Lower Queen Anne Placemakr Seattle will bring its hybrid apartment-hotel concept to the city. Located directly across from Climate Pledge Arena, the property will feature 128 rooms available for both nightly and extended stays. Its prime location makes it an ideal base for sports fans catching a Kraken, Storm or Torrent game.
A historic Capitol Hill mansion near Volunteer Park is set to become The Baillie, an intimate boutique hotel and restaurant opening in summer 2027. The property will feature just 10 guest rooms alongside a ground-floor restaurant and welcoming communal spaces. Blending preserved historic details with a warm, vintage aesthetic, the hotel will offer a distinctly local Seattle stay.
The Lodge at St. Edward is embarking on a $40 million wellness expansion that will transform the property into one of the Pacific Northwest’s few destination Nordic spa resorts. Plans include around 15 hydrotherapy experiences, including hot pools, cold plunges, saunas and an adults-only outdoor thermal garden. Work is set to begin following the Lodge’s closure on November 1, 2026.
For more information and to plan a trip to Seattle, visit www.visitseattle.org.
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