June 3, 2025

$19M World Cup upgrade, and a different name, for Lumen Field

Photos via Lumen Field [enlarge]

Lumen Field will be temporarily renamed Seattle Stadium during the tournament and existing signage will need to either be removed or covered.

Lumen Field is set to get a $19 million makeover, and a temporary new name, in preparation for the start of the FIFA Men's World Cup events in Seattle next summer.

The roughly 69,000-person capacity stadium, which dates to 2002, will host six group stage games during the tournament, which will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Gov. Bob Ferguson approved $19.4 million for the upgrades, included in the state's capital budget, which he signed last week.

Work includes the temporary replacement of the stadium's artificial turf with stitched natural grass, new seating in the Hawks Nest that will replace bleacher-style seating with fully backed seats (as per FIFA requirements), the removal of some corner seating to make more space for media, and a host of security upgrades such as the installation of new turnstiles, bollards, lighting and cameras.

Turf replacement will start after the conclusion of the Seahawks 2025 NFL season in early 2026 and should be done by next May. Lumen Field is the home venue for the Seahawks as well as Seattle's men's and women's major league soccer teams Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC.

The turf replacement will be no small feat. The current artificial turf covers an area of over 100,000 square feet. Work will include the installation of a new irrigation and ventilation system for the natural grass, plus grow lights and new maintenance equipment.

Artificial turf will be reinstalled once the World Cup matches are over.

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The field will get new stitched natural grass ahead of FIFA Men’s World Cup events next summer.

Zach Hensley, general manager of Lumen Field, told Axios that most of the upgrades should be finished by next May, but some could be finished closer to mid-June.

The stadium's temporary name will be Seattle Stadium. All current signage bearing the Lumen Field name will need to either be temporarily removed or covered ahead of the tournament.

The last major renovation project at Lumen Field wrapped in 2024 and comprised a variety of upgrades at the Delta Sky360 Club Level including a refreshed sports bar lounge.

That project was part of a host of improvements announced in 2022 to mark the 20-year anniversary of the stadium and elevate the fan experience. Other improvements included a new 6,300-square-foot premium food and beverage area named Cityside Bars, upgrades to the upper concourse concession and new north video boards.

The new $77.9 billion state operating budget earmarked a total of $45 million to support the World Cup, including money for additional field upgrades and a raft of funding for safety and security initiatives.

Gonzaga University in Spokane will get $100,000 and the University of Washington will get $1.7 million for field upgrades at their institutions. Both have been selected to host practice fields for teams playing in the tournament.

A new law has also been passed that will allow businesses to expand drinking areas at various fan zones and viewing locations across the city, including at the large fan zone planned for Seattle Center.

Cascade PBS was the first to report the news.