Downtown Seattle sees 97% increase in holiday visitors compared to 2019
Jan 26, 2026, 2:06 PM
General view of atmosphere during a holiday event at Seattle's Westlake Center Plaza. (Photo: Mat Hayward, Getty Images)
(Photo: Mat Hayward, Getty Images)
Downtown Seattle had one of its most popular holiday seasons in years, as roughly 2.84 million unique visitors came to celebrate in the city throughout December.
The vast number of visitors in Seattle this holiday season represented a 97% increase compared to December 2019, the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) announced.
Along with the increase in unique visitors, more than 921,000 locals living within 10 miles of the city came downtown, more than in any other month in 2025.
The substantial boost in attendance may be in part due to Seattle’s expansive holiday event offerings. DSA noted it was involved in 47 holiday events, which included the inaugural Pines on Pike Tree Lot, which sold 123 Christmas trees.
The many holiday events across Seattle also made a serious economic impact. For example, roughly 16,000 visitors attended the DSA Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, producing an economic impact of approximately $500,000 for just that day alone.
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Downtown Seattle prepares for possible Super Bowl celebration
As the Seahawks advanced to Super Bowl LX with a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams, the team is one victory away from hosting the city’s second Super Bowl parade.
In 2014, Seattle’s Super Bowl parade took over the 2.5-mile stretch leading up to then-CenturyLink Field while braving sub-freezing temperatures.
More than 700,000 eager Seahawks fans reportedly attended the parade to celebrate the team’s 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos, though experts indicated the total attendance was closer to 450,000, according to HistoryLink.
Despite the discrepancy, Seattle’s 2014 parade was the largest gathering in the city’s history, surpassing the Seattle SuperSonics victory parade in 1979, where roughly 300,000 spectators were in attendance, according to the Museum of History and Industry.
Using the lower estimate of 450,000, the 2014 parade would represent more than 15% of downtown’s December 2025 visitor total — in just one day.
While Seahawks fans anticipate a rematch of their notorious Super Bowl loss against the New England Patriots, a win could place this year’s downtown gathering in the history books with potentially record-breaking attendance.
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