‘It’s eclipsed the Taylor Swift takeover’: Jake, Spike debate Seattle’s biggest-ever event amid massive World Cup turnout

As Seattle gets set to host the men’s FIFA World Cup match between the USA and Belgium, KIRO hosts Jake Skorheim and Spike O’Neill debated whether the event is one of the greatest, most highly anticipated events in the city’s history.

“Big, big, big, big game tonight. Team USA v. Belgium,” Jake said on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “Lots of fans, lots of people downtown. Even people who aren’t attending the game, lots of people are just going to watch parties.”

“It’s gonna be the biggest crowd in Seattle,” Spike responded. “They say that the World Cup has already eclipsed the Taylor Swift takeover, which has been the biggest cultural event from a numbers perspective in Seattle’s history.”

From Super Bowl parades to Taylor Swift, the hosts sized up the competition

While Seattle has hosted several cultural events with massive foot traffic, Jake believed the city’s Super Bowl parade for the Seattle Seahawks in February was one of the most notable as of late, where nearly one million fans flocked downtown.

“Really? Even more than the Super Bowl parade?” Jake asked.

“Oh yeah, and that’s fair to say,” Spike responded. “We had three-quarters of a million people for the parade, something like that. Zero arrests, but this can be a record-setting day.”

Over the course of Seattle’s history, the city has been home to two Super Bowl parades, with the team’s initial win drawing as many as 800,000 people.

Also on the list is one weekend in July 2023, when global popstar Taylor Swift played back-to-back sold-out shows at Lumen Field, all while the Capitol Hill Block Party, Seafair Torchlight Parade, and Mariners v. Blue Jays series were taking place across the city.

KIRO reporter on the ground describes a city already buzzing

Jake and Spike checked in with KIRO Newsradio reporter Jillian Raftery, who joined live from outside Lumen Field, where thousands of fans had been gathering since the early morning hours.

“I started my day in Pioneer Square, and I could not believe how packed it’s already getting,” Raftery said. “People are coming in from every area. It’s been this way all day. It is beautiful. People are enjoying everything this area has to offer. Everyone is just having a great time.”

“I’m really kind of jealous I don’t get to be down there today,” Spike responded.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3