Hi all,

Sending another Good News Downtown, a communication to showcase uplifting, interesting, positive stories about activities and people Downtown.

If you have news or events to share, or if you want to talk about the work being done to revitalize Downtown, send us an email.

Weekly digest

Credit: Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

⚽🥅 The rain didn’t stop fans from celebrating a milestone night of Seattle soccer. The U.S. and Japan women’s national teams drew 36,128 fans, the largest crowd ever for a standalone women’s soccer match in Seattle. The match also marked the first test of the newly installed natural grass pitch: U.S. women’s national team falls to Japan in friendly at Lumen Field – The Seattle Times.

Work is underway at Lumen Field as Seattle prepares to welcome the world for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Crews are refreshing the "Seattle Stadium” ahead of the tournament, while Downtown businesses are ramping up renovations and staffing in anticipation of increased visitor activity: Seattle Stadium glow-up: Lumen Field preps for World Cup – FOX 13 Seattle.

Seattle’s Pacific Science Center is preparing for a leadership transition. Longtime President and CEO Will Daugherty is set to step down at the end of June and Kevin Malgesini is stepping into the role, marking a new chapter focused on reimagining the Science Center’s role as a hands-on learning destination for the community: Seattle’s Pacific Science Center names Kevin Malgesini president and CEO – The Seattle Times.

🛳️ Seattle’s newly transformed Waterfront welcomed its first wave of cruise passengers as the 2026 season kicked off last week. Thousands of visitors arrived aboard ships like the Norwegian Jade and explored the recently completed public spaces along the shoreline, sharing rave reviews. The Port of Seattle estimates a million cruise passengers will visit Seattle this season: First passengers of 2026 cruise season praise renovated Seattle Waterfront Park – KOMO News.

Credit: Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times

🐳🛥️ The FRS Clipper is launching its new Emerald Clipper vessel, expanding its whale-watching operations from Pier 69. The 103-foot vessel will increase capacity for tours across the Salish Sea, offering upgraded viewing decks, improved efficiency, and onboard naturalist programming: New whale-watching boat launches from Seattle waterfront – The Seattle Times.

🚶🚴 A new project aims to improve pedestrian and bike access along Seattle’s central shoreline. Elliott Bay Connections will create a continuous greenway along Alaskan Way, linking the area near Pier 62 with Olympic Sculpture Park and connecting into Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Parks. Expected to be completed this summer, the effort aims to strengthen connectivity between Downtown and the Waterfront: Elliott Bay Connections.

☕📖 There’s a new spot to grab coffee before picking up your library books. Ho️wdy Y’all Coffee’s matcha and espresso bar is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. inside the Seattle Central Library. Offering a Korean and Mexican-inspired café experience, it’s an easy daytime stop to grab specialty drinks in a creative, relaxed setting.

Looking ahead

Credit: Seattle Independent Bookstore Day

📚 Pick up a new read and support local bookstores this Saturday, April 25 during Seattle Independent Bookstore Day. This year, complete a Bookstore Day Passport Challenge for a chance to win discounts at participating bookstores. From Arundel Books and Beguiled Books in Pioneer Square to Left Bank Books in Pike Place Market, there are several shops Downtown you can support this weekend.

🎶 Tempest Tossed takes place on Sunday, April 26 at Town Hall Seattle, where the Thalia Symphony Orchestra will present an evening of classical music in one of Downtown’s premier performance spaces. You can enjoy an evening of live orchestral music in an intimate setting right in the heart of the city.

Experience a cross-cultural performance that blends India’s Kathak and Spain’s Flamenco. Tatkaar y Taconeo highlights the expressive storytelling, intricate rhythms, and percussive footwork of these dance forms while building bridges between traditions, communities, and cultures. The performance is part of the Artists at the Center series, open to the public, and starts at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 26 at the Armory.