Bellevue, WA prepares for 2026 FIFA World Cup fans

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Less than two months to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Bellevue says it's ready to welcome all those fans! They say hotel bookings show a soccer surge. Bellevue doesn't have to bet, it can see in the numbers that fans are booking hotels here for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"We're thinking in Bellevue, specifically, we're going to get about 20,000 World Cup-centric people," said Visit Bellevue Executive Director Brad Jones.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup may be in Seattle, but Jones says fans can expect a global experience there, too. It's a major moment to show off how easy it can be to take the light rail and go city-to-city.

"The 2 Line connects Seattle and Bellevue. It's just 20 minutes, beautiful ride across the lake, and we're 3 to 4 stops to the stadium," Jones said.

Bellevue officials say CoStar is projecting hotel occupancy in Bellevue to be between 83 percent and 88 percent for June and July, which is on par for past summers. They're prepared for it with fan experiences downtown and across the city, including the Spring District before, during, and after the matches.

"When people are headed to match day, we'll kind of be the hype of them getting on the train and then when they get back, we'll welcome them back," Jones said.

Bellevue's mascot, Belle the Bobcat, has a new soccer jersey ready to go. A special lager from the Bellevue Brewing Company will be flowing, dubbed the "Bellevue Baller." It all shows how an event of this magnitude can lead to a win for everyone.

"I think the World Cup is just that opportunity for us to get eyeballs on our region," Jones said.

Bellevue Brewing Company plans to have a launch event on June 3 for that all-new "Bellevue Baller" lager. One of many ways they want Bellevue to make an impression on fans from around the world.

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