All-Star Game to be ‘most inclusive ever’ as festivities kick off headed into busy weekend

SEATTLE — Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities have arrived in Seattle! After four years of preparations, All Star weekend officially kicked off in Pioneer Square this week.

KIRO 7 Sports Director Chris Francis was there on Wednesday with VIPs from the City of Seattle, the Mariners, and MLB, who call it the “most inclusive” All-Star Game ever.

We’ll see that firsthand with a variety of activities, many of which will be free. That will include events at Lumen Field’s event center, which will be the epicenter of the weekend’s festivities. The hope is to have that act as a springboard into the main event next week.

“It’s like preparing for a game,” Mariners Owner and CEO John Stanton said. “You don’t just prepare for that game -- you prepare for the entire season and that’s the way we’re looking at this.”

For Mayor Bruce Harrell, his hope is that the All-Star showcase can help kickstart downtown Seattle’s downtown core.

“The investor community saw fit to invest in us, in what we’re doing,” he said.

And for the Seattle Sports Commission, the city and sports go hand-in-hand, as they look at this as “laying the foundation” for the 2026 World Cup.

“It’s the largest event on the planet,” SSC President Beth Knox said.

As hosts, the Mariners have been working on its All-Star events since bidding in 2019. The city’s history also has deep roots with the midsummer classic, with team owner John Stanton remembering when he first attended in 1979 at the Kingdome.

“I had participated in the lottery,” he recalled. “I think I put $10 in an envelope and they mailed me tickets because I won the lottery.”

Anyone looking to check out All-Star Weekend should be prepared for large crowds, with parking likely to be difficult across the downtown and SoDo areas. That’s why transit will be free for all services on Monday and Tuesday of next week -- that includes buses, light rail, and water taxis.

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