25 Reasons to Visit Seattle in 2025
SEATTLE – The year ahead will offer plenty of reasons for travelers to prioritize Seattle as their next destination, including FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, a newly renovated waterfront and Aquarium expansion, and two new hotel openings.
Here are 25 of the most enticing reasons to visit:
- Marvel at Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza” (Jan. 16-March 19) and Teatro ZinZanni (Now- March 2025)
Discover the magic of two different acrobatic performances: Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza” and Teatro ZinZanni. “Kooza” presents an innovative journey viewed through the perspective of The Innocent, an endearing yet naïve clown looking for his place in the world. Teatro ZinZanni 2025 offers a legendary theatrical cirque experience during a four-course gourmet dinner.
https://zinzanni.com/seattle/
https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/usa/seattle/kooza/buy-tickets
- Find Balance at the Exhibition “Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley and Alexander Calder” (Now-June 1, 2025)
The works of two marquee American sculptors are paired at Seattle Art Museum’s “Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley and Alexander Calder.” The exhibition showcases large-scale wood sculptures of contemporary artist Thaddeus Mosley, juxtaposed with Calder’s revered mobile works, each playing with balance, weight, and space. This collection follows a bequest by Seattle philanthropists Jon Shirley and Kim Richter Shirley of more than 40 Calder artworks gifted to the Seattle Art Museum in 2023.
https://www.seattleartmuseum.org/whats-on/exhibitions/following-space
- Hop Around the City’s Museums During Seattle Museum Month (Feb. 1-28, 2025)
For the entire month of February, visitors staying in one of 70+ downtown Seattle hotels will receive half-price admission to the region’s top museums as part of Seattle Museum Month. Each pass is good for up to four guests, with no limit to the number of participating museums guests can visit. Participating venues include The Museum of Flight, Seattle Pinball Museum, Wing Luke Museum, and more.
https://seattlemuseummonth.com/
- Get Inspired by “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei” at Seattle Art Museum (March 12-Sept. 7, 2025)
Over 100 works are on display by renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, spanning the 1980s to the 2020s. “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei” is the artist’s first U.S. retrospective in over a decade, his largest exhibition in the U.S., and his first solo exhibition in Seattle. This thrilling collection offers a rare opportunity to engage with Weiwei’s wide-ranging body of work, often including conceptual and political art like 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds protesting the Chinese Communist Party’s political propaganda or a series of photographs showing the artist flipping the middle finger to iconic landmarks from around the world.
https://www.seattleartmuseum.org/whats-on/exhibitions/ai-weiwei
- Sip Your Way Through Taste Washington (March 13-17, 2025)
The nation’s largest single-region wine and food festival is returning to Seattle for its 25th anniversary in March. This Dionysian week of culinary and wine-based events culminates in The Grand Tasting, featuring 200 participating Washington wineries and 75 local restaurants.
tastewashington.org
- Take a Shot at March Madness® (March 21 and March 23, 2025)
Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena is hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship (March 21 and 23, 2025). Support D1 men’s team favorites as they battle for the NCAA title.
https://www.climatepledgearena.com/event/2025-ncaa-division-i-mens-basketball-first-and-second-rounds/
- Get in the Game at a New Pickleball Club
Invented on Bainbridge Island (just across the Puget Sound from Seattle), this rapidly growing sport has led to a new 25,000-square-foot pickleball facility in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood. Picklewood Courts and Kitchen is co-founded by Seattle restaurateur Ethan Stowell and will feature 11 courts and multiple dining concepts. It is anticipated to open in summer 2025. Another facility, Side Out Pickleball Centers, plans to open in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle in Q2 of 2025. The new center will be the largest in the state, and will be home to the Seattle Tsunami professional pickleball team.
https://picklewood.net/
https://sideoutpickleballcenters.com/
- Catch the World’s Best at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ (June 15-25, 2025)
Lumen Field, a top-tier venue in the heart of downtown Seattle, will host six matches of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Seattle Sounders FC will play all three of its group-stage games of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at its home stadium. In Seattle, teams including Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid, and Botafogo will battle it out for the renowned trophy, setting the stage for FIFA World Cup 26 Seattle™.
https://www.soundersfc.com/news/seattle-to-host-six-fifa-club-world-cup-2025-matches-at-lumen-field
- Get Nerdy at Seattle Worldcon (Aug. 13-17, 2025)
Summit, the latest addition to the Seattle Convention Center, will host the 2025 Worldcon. Worldcon celebrates fantasy, sci-fi, and other speculative fiction, giving attendees the chance to explore panels, presentations, workshops, events, table talks, autograph signings, and even kids’ programming. Guests of honor include Hugo Award-winning writer Martha Wells, sci-fi and fantasy artist Donato Giancola, robotics expert Bridget Landry, and Celtic musical artist Alexander James Adams. https://seattlein2025.org/
- Attend the 7th Annual “Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience” (Oct. 16-19, 2025)
Known as America’s hub for glass art, Washington state is home to over 700 glass artists. “Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience” brings together the local glass community, art enthusiasts, and newcomers alike to enjoy live glass blowing demonstrations, open studio tours, special gallery exhibitions, parties, and exclusive opportunities to mingle with artists.
https://refractseattle.org/
- Make Holiday Memories at the Seattle Christmas Market (November-December, 2025)
Seattle comes alight during the holiday season with merry holiday events, including the Seattle Christmas Market, located in Seattle Center. Styled after a traditional European Christmas market, it provides old-world charm, from local vendors for holiday shopping and an array of food and drink, to live entertainment, family-friendly fun, and plenty of glühwein.
https://seattlechristmasmarket.com/
- Enjoy the Views from the Newly Renovated Seattle Waterfront
The Seattle Waterfront has a striking new look. Completed in October 2024, the accessible Overlook Walk invites pedestrians to take in beautiful views of Puget Sound as they make their way between Pike Place Market and the Waterfront promenade. A unique jellyfish climbing structure and vast artwork honoring the history of the Coast Salish Peoples will be added by early 2025. Waterfront renovations are on track for completion by spring 2025.
https://waterfrontseattle.org/waterfront-projects/alaskan-way
- Support Indigenous Communities at Tidelands Native Art Gallery
Tidelands Native Art Gallery, an Indigenous-owned creative space that redefines the narrative of Native America, opened in September 2024. It focuses on lifting Indigenous voices in the arts, media, and cultural innovation. For example, “Project 562,” created by Tidelands founder Matika Wilbur, showcases photographs of 562 recognized Tribes, urban Native communities, and those fighting for federal recognition. It remains on permanent view in the gallery.
https://www.thisistidelands.com/
- Commemorate 50 Years of Seattle Children’s Theatre
Opened in 1975, the Seattle Children’s Theatre’s 50th season features programming including “The Hula Hoopin’ Queen” and “The Pa’akai We Bring.” Theater-goers can also enjoy major accessibility renovations including a new row with space for wheelchairs and companions, handrails along the aisles, and additional family restrooms.
https://www.sct.org/50th-year/
- Relax in Style at Hotel Westland
Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square anticipates the opening of Hotel Westland in 2025, located in the eco-friendly RailSpur district. RailSpur is set to be one of the country’s most significant adaptive reuse developments. The hotel will offer 120 rooms, a signature restaurant, and a rooftop bar. The district will also feature three new restaurants by renowned Seattle chef Renee Erickson.
https://railspurseattle.com/hotel/
- Delight in the Drama of Seattle Musical Theater
Seattle is home to one of the country’s largest and most vibrant theater communities. At 5th Avenue Theatre, live-theater lovers can experience shows like “Waitress” (March 11-30), “Bye Bye Birdie” (June 10-29), and “After Midnight” (Aug. 5-24). The Paramount Theatre also offers a thrilling lineup of shows in 2025, such as “Hamilton” (Feb. 4-March 2), “Six” (May 6-11), and “Mamma Mia!” (June 10-15).
https://www.5thavenue.org/
https://www.stgpresents.org/stg-venues/paramount-theatre/
- Travel Car-Free Across Seattle and Beyond
Recent light rail enhancements make it easier than ever to get around Seattle without a car. The opening of the Lynnwood Connection offers routes from areas like Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace to places like the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture on the University of Washington campus, and Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. The remainder of the East Link that connects the cities of Redmond and Bellevue in the Eastside to the 1 Line in Seattle is anticipated to open in 2025. This is great news for those who prioritize green travel.
https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/east-link-extension
- Revel in Wine-Centric Amenities at a New Hotel in Woodinville
Wine enthusiasts will soon have a new place to unwind at The Somm Hotel and Spa, a luxury Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel in Woodinville (a noted wine region 30 minutes from Seattle by car). Amenities include a full-service spa, onsite dining, and unique wine blending experiences. The Somm Hotel and Spa is anticipated to open in 2025.
www.TheSomm.com
- Find Enlightenment at Cannonball Arts in Seattle
New Rising Sun, producers of beloved Seattle festival Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival, are partnering with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe to create a new arts venue in the heart of downtown Seattle. Anticipated to open in 2025, Cannonball Arts will offer two stories of contemporary and performing arts space spanning 66,000 square feet.
https://cannonballarts.com/
- Take a Bon Voyage from Seattle
The 2025 cruise season is projected to be record-breaking, with an estimated 299 vessel calls and 1.9 million passengers. Of note, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth will sail out of Seattle for her inaugural Alaska season and will offer 11 roundtrip voyages from Seattle to Alaska.
https://visitseattle.org/things-to-do/cruise-information/
- Celebrate MoPOP’s 25-Year Anniversary
The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) originally opened in 2000 as the Experience Music Project, a museum created by Paul Allen and designed by Frank Gehry. Today, MoPOP highlights many facets of contemporary popular culture, from music to movies, TV, and beyond. Visitors can expect inspiring exhibitions including “Keith Haring: A Radiant Legacy,” “Asian Comics: Evolution of an Artform,” “Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music,” and “Beats and Rhymes: A Collective Narrative of Hip-Hop.”
https://www.mopop.org/
- Visit from More Locations Than Ever with Added Flight Services to Seattle
New flight services make it convenient to get to Seattle via SEA Airport. In 2025, prospective travelers can expect Edelweiss Air service from Zurich to Seattle and Scandinavian Airlines service from Copenhagen to Seattle. In addition, Alaska Air Group begins service between Seattle and Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon.
https://www.portseattle.org/sea-tac/international-travel
- Rock Out to Live Music in Seattle
As a city known for music, Seattle has no shortage of big-name acts coming in 2025. Climate Pledge Arena will feature Tyler, The Creator (March 2-3), Kelsea Ballerini (March 13), and Dua Lipa (Oct. 15-16), just to name a few. And Lumen Field will welcome much-anticipated musical performances, including Kendrick Lamar and SZA (May 17).
https://visitseattle.org/?frm=events&s=&event_begin=&event_end=&event_type=music&event_regions=
- Dive in and Explore Seattle Aquarium’s New Ocean Pavilion
The Seattle Aquarium’s stunning new Ocean Pavilion sets a national standard for regenerative construction. Featuring sustainable, next-generation design, it invites visitors to learn more about the Coral Triangle, a reef ecosystem so biodiverse that it’s known as the “Amazon of the ocean.” With sharks, rays, and mangroves, the Pavilion’s multistory habitats offer immersion into this remarkable ecosystem. The Seattle Aquarium is part of the world’s first-ever coalition to restore threatened shark and ray populations, and the Indo-Pacific leopard shark seen at the Ocean Pavilion is the first species the group is looking to restore. The Ocean Pavilion also features art by Indigenous artists including Lummi Nation artist Dan Friday, who created a school of hand-blown glass salmon among other installations.
https://www.seattleaquarium.org/explore-the-aquarium/campus/ocean-pavilion/
- Savor 75 Years of Fine Dining at Canlis
Canlis, a prestigious Seattle restaurant founded in 1950 by Peter Canlis, celebrates 75 years of operation in December 2025. The James Beard-winning restaurant represents the evolution of fine dining in Seattle through three generations of the Canlis family. Today, Aisha Ibrahim brings a unique perspective as Canlis’ first female executive chef, inviting guests to indulge in her innovative dishes.
https://canlis.com/
For more ideas on things to do in Seattle, go to visitseattle.org or follow along on Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Visit Seattle:
Visit Seattle has served as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Seattle and King County for more than 50 years. A 501(c)(6) organization, Visit Seattle enhances the economic prosperity of the region through global destination branding along with competitive programs and campaigns in leisure travel marketing, convention sales and overseas tourism development. Visit visitseattle.org.