Whether you’ve made a promise to travel more in the new year or are a local who wants to explore more in your own town, here are 25 things to add to your 2025 Seattle Bucket List.
We know we haven’t captured all there is to do in this dynamic city. Feel free to suggest more bucket list items in the comments below!
Prepare to be dazzled by Cirque du Soleil KOOZÅ, an innovative journey viewed through the perspective of The Innocent, an endearing yet naïve clown looking for his place in the world. The fun takes place under the Big Top at Marymoor Park from January 19-March 16.
A mesmerizing mix of cirque, comedy, and cuisine, Teatro ZinZanni has returned to its hometown of Seattle for a brilliant show. SIZZLE! runs through March 30 in SODO at Emerald City Trapeze.
For the month of February, visitors staying at participating downtown hotels enjoy 50% off admission to some of the region’s top museums and cultural institutions during Seattle Museum Month. From pop culture to history to aviation, there’s a museum for everyone.
Seattle’s performing arts shine throughout the year at theaters across town. Here are just a few of the incredible offerings:
Paramount Theatre: Hamilton (Feb 4-Mar 2), Six (May 6-11), Mamma Mia! (Jun 10-15)
The 5th Avenue Theatre: Waitress (Mar 11-30), Bye Bye Birdie (Jun 10-29), After Midnight (Aug 5-24)
Opened in 1975, Seattle Children’s Theatre’s 50th season features programming including The Hula Hoopin’ Queen (Feb 13-Mar 23) and The Pa’akai We Bring (May 8-Jun 1).
Seattle is a city of music. From jazz and classical to hip hop and country, musicians of all genres come to play in the Emerald City. Here is just a sampling of what you can hear this year:
Climate Pledge: Tyler, The Creator (Mar 2), Kelsea Ballerini, (Mar 13), Dua Lipa (Oct 15-16)
The Crocodile: Freakout Weekender (Mar 1-2), Juvenile w/ The 400 Degreez Band (Apr 16), The Ocean Blue (May 2)
Neumos: Hazlett (Mar 2), Annie Dirusso (Apr 1), Neal Francis (May 17)
Seattle Symphony: La La Land (Feb 14-16), Disney’s Fantasia (Mar 21-23), Dvořák New World Symphony (Apr 10-12)
Cheer on your favorite teams and experience March Madness first and second rounds, March 21 & 23 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
MoPOP presents Keith Haring: A Radiant Legacy, a special exhibition offering an in-depth celebration of the iconic artist’s life, work, and activism from NYC to Seattle through 240+ Haring artworks and objects, a selection from Haring’s personal art collection, 20 objects from Angel Ortiz (LAII), and a community youth partnership. View the exhibit through March 23.
From mid-March through early April, cherry trees color the city with their delicate pink blooms that typically thrive for two or three weeks. These beautiful blossoms are a sight to behold throughout the city, but you can see the greatest concentration on the University of Washington’s Quad.
From March 12-September 7, explore over 100 works created by Ai Weiwei across four decades, from the 1980s to the 2020s. This career-spanning exhibition highlights Ai as a provocateur and identifies his key strategies for disrupting artistic canons and challenging political authoritarianism.
Taste Washington—the nation’s largest single-region wine and food festival—returns to Seattle March 13-17, celebrating its 25th anniversary. Events will take place across the region, including the always popular Grand Tasting at Lumen Field Event Center.
Seattle is lucky to have two women’s professional teams: Seattle Storm (WNBA) and Seattle Reign (NWSL). Catch a game at Lumen Field where the Reign kick off from March-October, or make your way to Climate Pledge Arena May-September to watch the four-time WNBA champions take the court.
Experience the magic of film at the 51st annual Seattle International Film Festival held at SIFF Cinemas and venues across the city from May 15-25. The festival spotlights over 80 films from new and established directors, showcasing sensational hit independents, and films that have yet to break through to the US audiences.
Celebrate Seattle’s vibrant arts and culture with outdoor festivals including Northwest Folklife (May 23-26), Day In Day Out (Jul), Capitol Hill Block Party (Jul 18-20), and Bumbershoot (Aug 30-31).
Take in the wonder of the Puget Sound as you sail from Seattle to Alaska on a memorable cruise during the 2025 season from April-October. Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth will sail out of Seattle for the first time in 2025 for her annual Alaska season. Voyage itineraries will range from seven to eleven nights, taking place between June 12 and September 25, 2025. For ideas on things to do in Seattle before and after your cruise, check out Visit Seattle’s cruise info page.
Seattle continues to improve its already impressive downtown walkability and attractions with the Waterfront redevelopment project. Enjoy a scenic bayside promenade featuring shops, bike lanes, and the Washington State Ferries terminal. Effortlessly stroll between Pike Place Market and the waterfront using Overlook Walk, an elevated park connecting the two for the first time ever. And make sure to take the family to Pier 58 where a massive jellyfish playground sculpture invites people to play.
The producers of Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival, New Rising Sun, is partnering with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe to create a new arts venue that is expected to open to the public in spring of 2025. Cannonball Arts will offer two stories of contemporary and performing arts space spanning two city blocks (Third and Fourth Avenues).
Break out your colors and celebrate Pride all through June in Seattle. Community events span throughout the month and culminate with the lively Pride Parade and Pridefest celebration on Pride Weekend June 28-29. Learn more at pride.visitseattle.org.
The exhibition Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder runs through June 1 and features large-scale wood sculptures of contemporary artist Thaddeus Mosley, as well as Calder’s iconic hanging mobiles, a standing mobile, and a wall sculpture.
Come face-to-face with sharks, rays, schooling fish, mangroves, seagrasses and nearly 30 species of coral in the new Ocean Pavilion. The space also features art from Dan Friday (Lummi Nation), that honors the Aquarium’s location on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, who have stewarded these lands and waters for generations.
Watch as the Seattle Sounders take on some of the world’s best teams during group-stage games of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ at Lumen Field from June 15-25. Lumen field will host six matches in total when the most globally inclusive club football tournament in history is held in the United States this summer.
From July 17-20, explore dozens of contemporary and modern art galleries from around the world al, plus special projects and innovative performances at the 9th annual Seattle Art Fair! The fair takes place at Lumen Field Event Center and offers a unique look into the vibrant arts community of the Pacific Northwest.
Native art gallery meets production studio meets boutique at this new space near the Seattle waterfront. Tidelands‘ vision is to create a thriving, Indigenous-owned creative space that redefines the narrative of Native America. Stop by to view their latest exhibition, partake in a workshop, or peruse their beautifully curated pieces of art, wares, and customized merchandise.
Combining pickleball, food, drinks, and community, Picklewood in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood is one of the latest endeavors of local restaurateur Ethan Stowell. Enjoy a lively game of pickleball while noshing on courtside food at this lively club. Picklewood is slated to open in summer 2025.
The Pacific Northwest has long been known as the epicenter of studio glass in the US. Visit Seattle October 16-19 for Refract, a four-day festival that allows you to explore this fascinating art, meet artists, tour studios, see special demonstrations, mingle at art parties, and more.
Plan your holiday getaway to the Emerald City and enjoy everything from dazzling light displays and festive markets to theater performances and special events during November and December.
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