Kirkland Welcomes The World

Organizers anticipate an additional approximately 750,000 people in the Puget Sound region, with anticipation that visitors will want to explore around the region while they are here. The travelers who show up stay longer than traditional sporting events – closer to one week. Visit Seattle has put together a country profile guide that details fan behavior and typical fan length of stay for the teams coming to Seattle. While the World Cup will bring an influx of visitors, it won’t drastically alter the City of Kirkland's day-to-day.

The City of Kirkland, has created "Kirkland Welcomes the World" to focus on visitor attraction before and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Kirkland Welcomes the World, via Explore Kirkland, will target Seattle metro area visitors as well as broader target customers before and during the FIFA 2026 World Cup to leverage the surge of international and domestic visitors to Seattle during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This campaign aims to position Kirkland businesses as a destination for World Cup attendees, driving both day trips and overnight stays that benefit the local economy.

Are you considering hosting a game viewing at your business? If so, be sure to read the Watch Party Playbook, published by the Seattle Sports Commission.

Types of Watch Parties

Public Viewing Events fall into three categories as defined by FIFA:

1. Non-Commercial Public Viewing Event

Public viewing events in commercial establishments like restaurants, hotels, pubs, clubs, and bars are still considered non-commercial if they’re part of the establishment’s usual business and no additional commercial activities like admission fees or sponsorships happen during the event.

2. Commercial Public Viewing Event

Entry to the Public Viewing Event is charged with a direct or indirect admission fee, and sponsorships or other commercial rights are also used to generate revenue.

3. Special Non-Commercial Public Viewing Event

 Non-Commercial Public Viewing Event which has a capacity of more than 1,000 spectators.

Licensing Requirements and Fees

Non-Commercial Public Viewing Events do not require a formal license and can be broadcast through FOX and Telemundo. For example, a bar, restaurant, hotel, or other commercial establishment can stream world cup matches and host watch parties while conducting normal business with no FIFA licensing requirements. For these events, charging an admission fee, either directly or indirectly, is not allowed. An example of indirect charging would be requiring a coffee purchase at a local café, where the coffee cup serves as your ticket to enter.

Commercial and Special Non-Commercial public viewing event organizers will need to request a license through the FIFA Public Viewing Portal. The fee for a Commercial Public Viewing Event License or a Special Non-Commercial Public Viewing Event License is calculated based on the location’s spectator capacity. According to FIFA, the FIFA Public Viewing Portal and the Licensing Fee Structure is expected to be available by Q4 of 2026. 

FIFA has strict intellectual property guidelines for its branding. Businesses and organizations may not use official FIFA event language, logos, or other marks. Watch Party Producers may NOT use the terms FIFA, World Cup, or 2026 World Cup in watch party advertisements or name. Do not name events in a way that implies affiliation (e.g. “World Cup Watch Party” or “FIFA Celebration”)

Watch Party Producers may use the event title “FIFA World Cup 26™ in a standard font to inform the public of a Public Viewing Event’s time and place. It can be used editorially to say what's being shown, but it cannot be in a headline, event title, or anything else that gives the impression that FIFA is directly associated with the event.

What can you do?

Businesses and community organizations can still focus on location, hospitality, and general celebration of international sport and culture.

Sample Branding and Taglines:

• "Welcome World Travelers” 
• “Kirkland Welcomes the World” 
• “Celebrating Global Football in Woodinville”
•  “Summer of Soccer” 
• “The Big Game”
• Use team names in your event titles. E.g. U.S vs Brazil Watch Party

Marketing and Design Ideas:

• Country Flags
• Soccer balls (not stylized like the official logo)
• Visit Seattle Community Branding. See the Community Brand Playbook
• Submit your watch party, event, or promotion to Explore Kirkland

• Hang banners, soccer decor or flags of the countries competing in the tournament
• Serve food and drinks that pay tribute to participating teams
• Themed discounts and promotions 
• Create door prizes based on each team’s country
• Themed bingo and games