All-Star Game marks crucial dress rehearsal for Seattle with World Cup arriving in 2026

SEATTLE — MLB All-Star festivities were well underway at Play Ball Park Monday afternoon. Baseball fans were keeping themselves busy until Monday night’s highly anticipated Home Run Derby. It’s one of the two major events fans from all over the world have come to Seattle to see.

Tomorrow it’s the grand finale for the entire week, the MLB All-Star Game.

It’s been 22 years since the City of Seattle has hosted an event of this size, but it kicks off a series of major sporting events on the city’s 3-year agenda. On New Year’s, Seattle will host the NHL’s Winter Classic and in 2026 the FIFA World Cup.

Some have argued that MLB All-Star week is a “dress rehearsal” for the World Cup and other premier sporting events and according to Seattle Sports Commission President, Beth Knox, that’s partially true.

“We are going to take the learnings from. We will do a debrief after this event and put together the best practices in the playbook so our future events will always have that template,” said Knox.

Analysts are predicting that MLB All-Star week will generate around $50 million dollars with around 100,000 or so fans here to experience the fun. Revenue the city could certainly use.

©2023 Cox Media Group