Other cities should be jealous. Downtown Seattle’s natural setting is a gorgeous backdrop for a vibrant array of events and festivals, professional sports, lively nightlife, and tourist attractions, supported by a vibrant cultural and performing arts community.

Adding to the appeal are new plans for Seattle Center, which include a glass art exhibition showcasing the work of artist Dale Chihuly; a renovated Memorial Stadium; and a new children’s playground – creating even more opportunities for free and affordable entertainment Downtown. The seasonal campaigns "Summer in Seattle" and "Holidays in Seattle" serve as annual reminders of everything Downtown has to offer year-round.

Downtown provides one of the country’s best big-city urban experiences for visitors and residents alike, generating an important economic impact for the thousands working in arts, entertainment, hospitality and tourism.

Highlights

Visitors: More than 21 million entertainment-seekers, conventioneers and sporting event attendees visited Downtown in 2010, making it the most active, visible and heavily trafficked part of Puget Sound.

Festivals: Downtown Seattle was home to approximately 70 festivals last year, including the country’s largest urban arts festival, Bumbershoot, and the largest film festival, Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). 

Concerts: Downtown Seattle features hundreds of music concerts each year, from the grandeur of a Seattle Symphony performance at Benaroya Hall, to the dozens of free outdoor summer concerts. Check out Summer in Seattle featuring Out to Lunch Concerts 2012.

Events: Downtown Seattle hosted more than 5,200 major sporting, performance, convention, museum and festival events in 2010.