Seattle Sounders welcome fans back to Lumen Field for season opener
SEATTLE - Seattle Sounders FC will welcome back fans to Lumen Field for the first time in over a year, just in time for their season opener.
Per approval from regional and state health authorities, the Sounders will be allowed to host approximately 7,000 fans in each of the team’s first five home games of the 2021 regular season. This includes the club’s 2021 MLS opener versus Minnesota United on Friday, April 16th.
Sounders season ticket members will receive priority access to available tickets before the general public.
Health and safety measures will be in place along with a few changes to follow health authority protocols. During games, fans ages two and older are required to wear a face mask, when not eating or drinking. Additional changes include:
- Seating will follow a six-foot social distancing rule. Tickets will be sold in pods, between one to six tickets and must be purchased together. All ticket holders per pod must be of the same household or permissible quarantining unit as permitted by regional health authorities.
- No more than two tickets pods per single row
- Touchless ticketing will be available for fans to scan their tickets from a mobile device by a ticket scanner at Lumen Field entries. No paper tickets are permitted.
- Touchless food and beverages vendors, "grab and go" options and restroom facilities
"This is a day we have been working toward and dreaming about for some time," said Sounders FC Owner & President of Business Operations Peter Tomozawa. "Getting to the point of being able to welcome the best fans in MLS back to Lumen Field would not have been possible without the guidance of so many leaders in our community. In particular, thank you to Governor Jay Inslee, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan for their poised leadership, in addition to Public Health – Seattle & King County Director Patty Hayes and her entire team for navigating our club through this process. Because of their hard work and the work of countless others, we now have a robust and approved plan in place to safely welcome Sounders fans back to our matches."
In March, the club worked with state and county health officials on the process of welcoming back fans to Lumen Field. Following Gov. Inslee's announcement in mid-March for counties to move to Phase 3 starting March 22, outdoor events with permanent seating could have up to 25 percent capacity. This includes professional teams, high school sports, rodeos and other similar events.
The Seattle Mariners welcomed back 9,000 fans at the Home Opener on April 1 with health and safety measures in place for an efficient fan experience that aligns with COVID-19 safety measures.
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