EVERETT, MAY 20: Everett hotels are in a wait and see mode about the impact of FIFA World Cup games in Seattle, which start June 15. But good news may be on the horizon.
“We’ve been waiting and anticipating (more guest bookings)”, says Erica Kent, Best Western front desk manager at 2800 Pacific Avenue, “but it hasn’t hit us. Hopefully it will.”
Across the street at Delta Hotels, Melanie Bond, operations manager echoed the optimism, saying, “We’re hoping it (guest bookings) will pick up.” Bond added, “We’re hoping it brings (more) business”, pointing to the centrally located lounge on-site where patrons gather for food, drinks and sports on the big screens.
World Cup games in Seattle start Monday June 15 at Lumen Field with the Group G match between Belgium and Egypt. But the main event in Seattle will be the U.S. challenging Australia on Friday June 19 in Group D.
The U.S. game in June and a knock-out game on July 6 will likely draw the biggest tourism surge into the area for the World Cup events in Seattle. How will Everett businesses benefit from the surge?
At the Hampton Inn on Marine View Drive overlooking the waterfront, General Manager, Ashley Zimmerman, said there’s “not a specific promotion to know if customers are here for games, but it’s something we’ll ask when customers check in” closer to the match dates.
According to Expedia, there’s an expected uptick in travel to outlying areas–like Everett–in proximity to cities hosting games. The data suggest a 200% increase in travel intent for Snohomish County during summer 2026. The Expedia data says most domestic travelers book accommodations on shorter notice than international travelers do, which would parallel the anticipation Everett hotels have right now in lieu of actual reservations.
Consultant, Jenn Christison, founder of Seven Ways Consulting hosted a recent workshop with the Everett Chamber of Commerce titled “Prepare Your Business for FIFA 2026”, designed for planning around demand surges for business owners.
Christison uses the example of the typical ice cream shop that sees a drastically different customer count in summer months than winter. “The main message is plan for the unplanned”, Christison says, focusing on anticipating problems or needs for big events. She points to expanding staff responsibility by delegating so co-workers know who’s in charge of which areas as the customer flow ramps up. As an example, she adds, “bring your (employee) team together to try something new to handle something for a bigger scale. What can you try on a shift now to see how it works on a future shift” and “apply it to FIFA” crowds.
Restaurants, bars and businesses can get creative to draw more customers from World Cup games, says Tammy Dunn, Executive Director of the Snohomish County Sports Commission. Dunn encourages “businesses–bars, breweries, hotels–hotels with bars in them–if you have a TV, show the games. Let people know you’re playing the U.S. / Australia match (June 19). Create specials that have a soccer theme for food or drinks.” She includes decorating your business with soccer themes in the windows or walls.
A lot of World Cup popularity is driven by players for certain teams like Lionel Messi for Argentina or Cristiano Renaldo for Portugal. Displaying a flag in your business for one of the more competitive and popular teams like Spain or France could draw new customers–customers with no direct tie to that country–just fans of those national teams because they’re fanatical about superlative players like Kylian Mbappe from France.
Current ticket prices on StubHub for a pair of tickets to the Belgium vs. Egypt match, range from $421-$1193. For the U.S. vs Australia match on June 19, StubHub prices for two seats start at $958 and top out at $3335, although StubHub does show some price fluctuation even for those ranges, so prices do change. The bargain prices for local World Cup tickets at Lumen Field right now are $222-$937 for the June 24 tilt between Bosnia and Herzegovina against Qatar.
For the majority of us who are cost-conscious, there are four free World Cup “watch parties” at the Everett waterfront between June 11t and 19 involving matches, respectively, with Mexico and the U.S. The watch parties will be held at Boxcar Park, 1200 Millwright Loop West. The games, involving Mexico on June 11 and 18 and the U.S. on June 12 and 19, will be displayed on a massive LED screen for fans assembled at Boxcar Park. Dunn says the watch parties are family focused with a soccer theme.
A DJ will spin music pre-game (check the above like for kick-off times) with a beer garden for those over age 21, food trucks, a kid zone involving the Sno-Isle Library and even a video game zone for the kids big and small to show their chops at the ever-popular EA FIFA video game.
Parking is limited but two shuttles can help you get to the watch party games. One, from Everett Transit, starting at the Everett Station (3201 Smith Avenue) with pick-up along some stops on Hoyt Avenue like the Everpark Garage (2815 Hoyt Avenue) ending at Scuttlebutt Brewing (1205 Craftsman Way). The second shuttle travels from Tulalip Resort Casino in Tulalip (10200 Quil Ceda Blvd.) to Scuttlebutt Brewing at the edge of Boxcar Park.
The City of Everett, Port of Everett and Snohomish County Sports Commission are looking for volunteers at the Everett waterfront watch parties. According to Dunn, being a volunteer is one way for people to be part of the Waterfront Watch Parties. Volunteer positions include Kid’s Zone Crew, Matchday Guides, Kickoff Welcome Crew, Opening Whistle Team, and Final Whistle Team. Click here for more info about volunteering.