SEATTLE — Over the past week I have watched World Cup games at almost every major watch party the city has to offer. Here’s your guide for deciding where to watch the next match.
Pier 62 + the barge
I attended both the barge and Pier 62 for the U.S.A. v Paraguay game with EBFGirls co-host Tula Warrick-Ross. All people with tickets to the barge can attend both the barge and pier. I was suspicious of a floating venue to watch the game, but it was actually the perfect place to watch (as long as you don’t get seasick.)
I preferred the pier for being more in the action of fans throwing beer in the air, but both had plenty of room to stand around and get to know other people there and to watch the game. The entire ground section of the barge is a turf field with a limited selection of relatively cheap food. Just a ramp lower is the pier, where people who made it in on a first-come/first-serve basis were gathered in a massive crowd that was generally well spaced out. If you’re looking for a crowd of people just as excited as you are and a nice sunset in the background, Pier 62 is the way to go.
Pacific Place
If you’re looking for the perfect place to bring kids to watch a game, I would definitely look at Pacific Place. With a three-story high screen playing the game, it’s almost impossible to miss. There are games and things for younger kids to climb on further back into the mall, along with foosball tables and other soccer related games.
One caveat – although the screen is enormous, it’s split into three sections, with each one simultaneously showing the game. It manages to be an obstructed view from the balcony if you’re not in the very front row, even though the screen is the biggest one of all venues.
There’s a small bar that’s tucked away in the back of the game area, but it’s definitely the most family friendly of all the places I went to. If you’re looking for jerseys, there’s a Nordstrom a few steps away with a nice World Cup section, but I will say the chairs they had out are less comfortable than the ones in the stadium and we all know that’s saying something.
“Seattle Stadium”
While it takes an arm and a leg to get in there, I can safely say that there is absolutely nothing that compares to a World Cup game in what was once and will soon again be Lumen Field. I was lucky enough to attend the Belgium vs Egypt game and even in the very top of the 300s, there was nothing I’d ever experienced like it. While many were worried the stadium wouldn’t be able to handle this many people due to enhanced entry control and ticketing procedures, once we got inside, there was no issue.
Get there early and get there hydrated. Leaving at 8am for a noon kickoff worked well and gave my group plenty of time to walk around and run into fans from around the world. The tricky part was getting in. The entire crowd trying to enter the north side was streamlined into one entryway that could fit two people in at a time. We were lucky to have gotten there early enough to make it with time to spare, but be prepared to stand in the sun.
Any sunburn or sore muscles I sustained were absolutely worth it in every way. Seeing so many people that love the sport as much as I do had a smile frozen onto my face the entire day. It didn’t even take considerably long to get out of the game, and the ending was honestly the best part. Even with a draw, the Egyptian fans were having the time of their lives and it was contagious to everyone around them.
Victory Hall
Victory Hall is what I would compare most to the Tiki Room at Disneyland. It's where you want to go after being on your feet for hours on end in the beating sun. It’s a dimly lit room with huge benches and tables pointed toward the giant screen on the wall. There’s a bar in the back and the building is part of The Boxyard, which had great food and was playing England v. Croatia on the screens — with spotty service that left some customers unhappy.
Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square on game day in Seattle was one of the best experiences of my life and I’m not being dramatic. I’ve never been surrounded by so many people speaking so many languages who all love soccer just as much as I do. There was enough room for everyone to comfortably walk around before the Belgium v. Egypt game so that I could see one of the many posted televisions in any direction I turned. There are lines of food trucks up and down the blocks in either direction, and walking was a breeze.
While I don’t expect it to be as easy on Friday, I will definitely be making my way back here to find the energy that was in the area on Monday. In all the years I’ve lived in Seattle, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen so much joy and community between that many people before.
Dave Clark
A rule of thumb for finding your perfect watch spot is: the more people you want to be around, the closer you’ll want to get to the stadium. Bars in North Seattle are likely to host watch parties for the U.S. v. Australia game on the 19th. I went to Growler Guys on Lake City Way for the Brazil v. Morocco game and turned out to be the only person there watching. Even though it was just me, it was playing on almost every screen in the building. Even in the dingiest dive bars this city has to offer, there is someone in some corner who is just as amazed as the rest of us that Seattle is hosting the world.
