Seattle Invests Nearly $1.3M to Activate Public Spaces and Bring Communities Together Ahead of World Cup

Funding will support World Cup celebrations in every district and downtown experiences led by local artists and cultural leaders.

SEATTLE, WA (Dec. 2, 2025) - Today, the City of Seattle announced nearly $1.3 million in investments to activate public spaces, celebrate local culture, and bring people together across the city through grants for World Cup community celebrations in all seven districts and downtown arts activations from local artists. We Still Dream a Future, a series of Downtown activations, installations, and exhibitions promise to ignite the community’s collective imagination despite these dark days; and 2026 World Cup Community Celebrations will activate neighborhoods throughout the city for residents and visitors to connect and celebrate throughout this historic event.

“Seattle is at its best when we come together — in our neighborhoods, in our downtown, and in the public spaces that reflect and shape our diverse communities,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “As we prepare to welcome the world to our region in 2026, these investments will help fuel the creative energy that is foundational to our city’s spirit. From the U-district to Delridge to the Central District and downtown, every corner of our city will be filled with experiences that connect and showcase the vibrant, welcoming, and fun Seattle we love.”

“This is a powerful opportunity to engage residents and visitors alike,” said Gülgün Kayim, Director of the Office of Arts & Culture. “Everyone will have the chance to experience not only the heart of our city, but its neighborhoods as well. These projects will amplify the voices of our local artists and ensure that Seattle remains a place of imagination, connection, and hope, especially in these challenging times.”

The World Cup 2026 Community Celebrations awards fund community-based organizations across all seven City Council districts to host cultural events, watch parties, activations, festivals, and celebrations that reflect the diversity and energy of Seattle. $485,000 has been awarded to 13 organizations and one community group:

• District 1: Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, Duwamish Tribal Services, Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association

• District 2: El Centro de la Raza, Eritrean Association in Greater Seattle

• District 3: ARTE NOIR, BeautyBoiz, LANGSTON

• District 4: U District Advocates

• District 5: Lake City Collective

• District 6: Ballard Alliance, Fremont Arts Council

• District 7: Native ACTION Network

These investments ensure that all residents and every neighborhood — not just those closest to stadium venues — can participate in the World Cup experience and host accessible, community-based experiences.

"We are incredibly grateful to the City of Seattle for this visionary investment in our communities," said Peter Tomozawa, CEO of Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026. "By ensuring that every neighborhood, not just those near the stadium, can host celebrations and cultural experiences, the City is broadening the benefit of the World Cup to reach all residents. These investments in local artists, cultural organizations, and neighborhood activations mean that this once-in-a-generation moment will reach every corner of our city."

The Office of Arts and Culture (OAC) is also funding We Still Dream a Future, a series of public art activations, installations, exhibitions, and performances throughout the Downtown core, including in the Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square, Stadium District, and around Union Station and King Street Station.

More than 32 organizations were awarded a total of $769,000 in Creative Placemaking investments from Downtown Activation funds and Hope Corps, a grant supporting creative workers who contribute to Seattle’s cultural and civic life. Organizations will provide free programming Downtown, with an emphasis on artist- and community-led outdoor experiences during peak summer months.

Awardees for Hope Corps activations include:

• Akoiya Harris

• Framework Cultural Placemaking and Velocity Made Good

• Friends of Little Saigon

• Living Voices

• Massive Monkees

• Nakisa Dehpanah

• Solo Magic

• The Children of Shelly's Leg

• The Residency

• Titus Ross

• Vanishing Seattle and Trees with Taha

ARTS at King Street Station activation awardees include:

• Anuradha Samrat

• Common Area Maintenance

• Heidi Grace Acuña

• Joe Brazil Legacy

• Khu.éex'

• Little Brown Language

• Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat

• Stephanie Ann Ball

• Sunshine from Polynesia

• Tory Trujillo

• United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

ARTS at King Street Station exhibition awardees include:

• Ashley Ponce

• Black Arts West Alumni Association

• Delbert Richardson

• Gabriel-Bello Díaz

• Jennifer Leigh Harrison

• Lila Thomas

• Kat Noel, Jenna Hanchard, Janell Jordan, and Eula Scott Bynoe

• Nhi Vo

• RYAN! Feddersen

• Split Six Productions

These awards were shaped and selected through community-driven processes. We Still Dream a Future grantees were chosen by the ARTS at King Street Station Advisors, ensuring that programming reflects racial equity, diverse cultures, and a wide range of artistic disciplines. For World Cup 2026 Community Celebrations, proposals were identified through a collaborative invitational process informed by broad community input including the OAC, Seattle Center, Office of Economic Development, Department of Neighborhoods, and City Council, with final selections by experts experienced in large-scale arts and cultural production and grantmaking.

Together, these investments uplift artists and neighborhood organizations, strengthen community connections, celebrate the cultures that define Seattle, and build momentum toward an exciting, welcoming, and connected city.