The City of Bellevue recently hosted an information session at Bellevue City Hall outlining its plans to activate light rail stations and surrounding neighborhoods during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place from June 11 through July 19.
The meeting was led by Jesse Canedo, the City’s Economic Development Director, and focused on how Bellevue will partner with local organizations to create a lively atmosphere at key transit locations while supporting the influx of visitors expected during the tournament.
Seattle will host six weekday World Cup matches at Lumen Field on June 15, June 19, June 24, June 26, July 1, and July 6. Officials expect approximately 15,000 additional visitors to travel through Bellevue during the event.
Teams are expected to begin arriving in the region by mid-May. The 2026 World Cup will involve three host countries and 16 cities, making it the most geographically distributed tournament in the event’s history.
Tim Motts, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Bellevue, highlighted the broader impact of the event, noting the power of sports to bring communities together. He described the tournament as an exciting time for Bellevue, pointing out that the diverse countries represented in the World Cup reflect the city’s own international population.
As part of its planning, the City is launching “Bellevue to Adventure,” a month-long initiative focused on helping visitors travel between Bellevue and Seattle safely and smoothly while creating a continuous series of activities. The City is working closely with Sound Transit to support transportation needs and is aiming to create programming structures that can be reused for future events such as Seahawks playoff runs and Mariners postseason games.
The 2 Line light rail will play a central role in the effort, serving as a primary transportation link between Bellevue and Redmond.
Major activation efforts will focus on the Downtown Bellevue Station, Spring District Station, BelRed Station, and South Bellevue Station, where the City is planning watch parties, fan festivals, and other partner-sponsored programming. The official FIFA fan zone will be located at Seattle Center.
Bellevue’s strategy includes three major components:
1. Process improvements – By spring 2026, the City plans to introduce new tools to simplify permitting for small-scale events, including neighborhood block parties of approximately 50 people, medium-sized events of about 500 people, and select street closures for programs and activations.
2. Location partnerships – City staff are working with private property owners to expand public access to many of Bellevue’s key public spaces, which are largely privately owned.
3. Funding support – The City’s Community Programming Fund supported 37 grantees this year, distributing $175,000 to help cover activity and permit costs, resulting in more than 10,000 attendees. The fund will return next year, opening in Q1, with new focus areas including the FIFA World Cup, recurring event series, and markets such as farmers’ markets and night markets.
Several neighborhoods will receive special attention. In BelRed, home to more than 60 creative businesses and organizations and over 10 murals and art installations, the City plans a central activation zone near the light rail station featuring arts and soccer exhibitions and all-ages cultural programming.
The Spring District, Bellevue’s first transit-oriented development with 800 residential units, two million square feet of office space, retail amenities, and extensive open space, will host farmer’s markets, block parties, and community celebrations. Programming will spotlight small businesses and include cultural events representing the countries participating in the tournament.
In Downtown Bellevue, the City plans to decorate the district to reflect a global welcome, combine match viewings and pop-up events with food walks and games, and coordinate programming across public plazas. Officials say the goal is to create inclusive, low-barrier fan experiences while supporting summer activity and local businesses.
In addition, Visit Bellevue is offering free services to local businesses to help them promote their offerings to visitors during the World Cup.
City leaders emphasized that the World Cup provides an opportunity not only for economic impact but also for long-term community-building, with the intention of creating repeatable models for future regional and global events.
