Seattle’s soccer fans and festival-goers have much to look forward to in 2025. With Seattle confirmed as a host city for the FIFA Club World Cup, we’ll be welcoming soccer champions from around the world and celebrating our city’s vibrant arts and culture scene through Pioneer Square Fest.

But this event isn’t just a celebration—it’s also a test run for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when Seattle will host six group and knockout stage matches. The goal? To prepare our city and communities for the influx of visitors and to create the most enjoyable, dynamic, and well-organized events possible.

In 2025, we’ll be taking Pioneer Square Fest to the next level by experimenting with a street closure concept, allowing us to create a more expansive, Euro-style beer garden and street fair. These changes will bring more local vendors and artists into the mix while offering a festival experience that spills from the clubs onto the streets. But to make this vision a reality, we need the community’s support, both in terms of feedback and fundraising.

Our Vision for Pioneer Square Fest 2025

In addition to bringing some of Seattle’s best artists into the city’s newest clubs, we intend to close off sections of Washington Street, Occidental Avenue, and potentially 1st Avenue to create a pedestrian-friendly festival zone. This allows for more vendors, more space for festival-goers, and a more dynamic environment for the arts, food, and live music to flourish.

Imagine sipping on craft beer from local breweries in an open-air beer garden, walking from one end of Pioneer Square to the other while checking out art installations and live performances. With this setup, some of Seattle’s most iconic venues, like the Central Saloon, will have the opportunity to expand their service area, creating larger spaces for guests to enjoy the experience.

While this vision is exciting, it also comes with added costs. To make sure this plan is feasible—and to set ourselves up for success in 2026—we’ve crunched the numbers and considered several options for closing the streets. Now, we’re reaching out to the community for feedback and support as we work toward bringing this festival concept to life.

Festival Costs and Street Closure Options

Here’s where we need your input and support. We’ve explored two different street closure options, each with different costs and implications for the number of vendors and festival layout. The fees mentioned are what the city charges organizers to hold their events, and these will be passed on to vendors participating in the festival.

Option 1: Closing Washington St, Occidental Ave, and S Main St

• Streets Closed: S Main St, Washington St, Occidental Ave (from 1st Ave to 2nd Ave extension)
• Number of Vendors Supported: 70 vendors per day (140 vendors total over two days)
• Street Segments Closed: 4
• Arterials Intersected: 2 (Minor Arterials)
• Cost for Two Days: $5,700
• Added Street Use Fees: $3,948 for street use across 48 hours
• Total Cost for Two Days: $7,360

This option allows us to close three streets, creating a larger footprint for the event. With more room to work with, we can accommodate up to 140 vendors over two days (70 per day). This also gives us the flexibility to open up space for larger crowds, a Euro-style beer garden, and outdoor seating areas for Pioneer Square’s existing restaurants and bars.

Option 2: Closing Washington St and Occidental Ave (Smaller Footprint)

• Streets Closed: Washington St & Occidental Ave (from Alaskan Way to 2nd Ave extension)
• Number of Vendors Supported: 50 vendors per day (100 vendors total over two days)
• Street Segments Closed: 3
• Arterials Intersected: 1 (Minor Arterials)
• Cost for Two Days: $3,000
• Added Street Use Fees: $2,436 for street use across 48 hours
• Total Cost for Two Days: $7,800

This option is more cost-effective but limits the size of the event. We’d still be able to close a large part of Pioneer Square and create a fun and dynamic atmosphere with room for 100 vendors over two days. This smaller footprint would reduce some of the logistical challenges and street use fees but still give us room to experiment with the street fair concept.

Additional Considerations

There are a few other important factors to keep in mind as we plan Pioneer Square Fest 2025. Simply closing the streets and allowing existing bars, restaurants, and stores to expand their service areas could go a long way in creating the vibrant, outdoor festival atmosphere we’re envisioning. However, we could also invest in additional infrastructure—like tables, chairs, event signage, street closure gates, and sound equipment—to enhance the experience further.

Another crucial consideration is the cost of event staffing and security. We’ll need to ensure that the festival is safe and enjoyable for everyone, which means hiring security staff and renting porta-potties for the street fair area.

How You Can Help: Feedback and Fundraising

As we move forward with our planning, we want to hear from you! What do you think of the proposed street closures? Do you have a preference for Option 1 or Option 2? What kinds of vendors or entertainment would you like to see included in Pioneer Square Fest 2025?

In addition to your feedback, we’re also looking for fundraising support to help cover the costs of street closures, event staffing, and additional festival infrastructure. By contributing to the festival, you’ll play a vital role in creating a vibrant, welcoming event that will be the perfect test run for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Why This Matters for 2026

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring six matches to Seattle, drawing soccer fans from around the world to the Stadium District and Pioneer Square. With an event of that magnitude, it’s essential that we get our infrastructure and festival planning right. By using the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and Pioneer Square Fest as a test run, we can identify what works best, make adjustments, and ensure that the community benefits from the influx of visitors.

Let’s work together to make Pioneer Square Fest 2025 a celebration that showcases the best of Seattle’s arts, food, and music culture. And let’s use this opportunity to set the stage for an unforgettable 2026 World Cup experience.

Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts on the proposed street closures? Do you have ideas for how we can make the festival even better? We’d love to hear from you. Send us an email at info@pioneersquaremarket.net, and if you’re interested in supporting the festival, please consider making a contribution to help fund our street closure and event costs.

Let’s make Pioneer Square Fest 2025 the best one yet—and prepare Seattle to shine on the world stage in 2026!