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Did You Know?

This week marks an exciting time – and a turning point – for Seattle Center as the brand new, state-of-the-art, fully sustainable Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center celebrates its grand opening. 

The arena’s life began with the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, when it housed the “World of the Future.” It was reconfigured following the fair to accommodate sports and concerts – and totally renovated in 1995. KeyArena gained its reputation as a basketball venue, and the arena appeared often on lists of the world’s top touring venues because of the roster of concerts that appeared on its stage.  

Seattle Center booked, managed and maintained the arena for more than 50 years. Event production often felt like “the little engine that could” because of the building’s lack of sufficient loading docks, or functioning elevators, or escalators of any kind. But the building always managed to perform in an extraordinary manner. Seattle Center staff were very pleased to host the community and proud of the event experience they were able to offer. 

But the bones of the building were becoming brittle with age, and so wise minds considered what to do and determined it was in the best interest of the arena and Seattle Center to find someone who could take on the arena management and give new life to this grand old dame. 

We never would have envisioned such an incredible outcome – the world’s first certified zero carbon arena, almost double in size from its earlier version, with elegance, grace, understatement and heart, along with multiple loading docks, elevators, escalators and a soaring mass of indoor space that will provide epic sports play and live music concerts. And who knew Seattle Center would ever be home to the region’s NHL team, the Seattle Kraken. 

We would like to welcome Climate Pledge Arena to the grounds and recognize our new partner for the enthusiasm, innovation, ideas and investment they bring to Seattle Center!   

Image of a building, sky, wall with words "Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center"

About Seattle Center:

Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts and family gathering place in the core of our region. More than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations that reside on the grounds, together with a broad range of public and community programs, create thousands of events on the 74-acre campus and attract over 12 million visitors each year. At Seattle Center, part of Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena, the first certified zero carbon arena in the world, our purpose is to create exceptional events, experiences and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. Activities at the Center generate $1.864 billion in business activity and $631 million in labor income.