During the six days Seattle will host matches of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, the city’s tourism authorities plan to surprise fans with a unique show. Each evening after the game ends, an unusual scoreboard made up of hundreds of drones will light up in the sky near the Space Needle. This is the first such light performance in history, intended to bring together locals and tournament visitors.
The roughly 12-minute show will display the flags of the countries playing that day and the final score. The presentation will be themed around Seattle and will be part of a “global greeting,” Visit Seattle chief marketing officer Stephanie Byington said. The first showing will take place the evening of June 15 after the Belgium vs. Egypt match, and the project will conclude June 26 with the Iran vs. Egypt match.
Byington said the drone-scoreboard idea was chosen from about 70 options because of its innovativeness. “It’s something that’s never been done before,” she emphasized. “Second, this format is accessible to both visitors and locals and also provides excellent media exposure.” The show is being produced by Sky Elements, which will update the score each day while keeping the main portion of the program unchanged.
The launch site chosen for the drones is Seattle Center — a large city park of about 30 hectares that serves as the city’s cultural and technological hub. That’s intentional: similar shows have already been held here, and the proximity to the 184-meter Space Needle observation tower, built for the 1962 World’s Fair, makes the performance symbolic. The tower’s futuristic design reflects Seattle’s leadership in the aerospace industry (Boeing) and technological innovation (Amazon, Microsoft), making it an emblem of the city recognized around the world. Seattle Center also hosts other large events, such as the annual Bumbershoot music festival, the Folklife arts festival, hockey games at Climate Pledge Arena, New Year’s celebrations, and concerts in the plaza. “It’s almost an homage to the Space Needle and the spirit of innovation our city is known for,” Byington noted. The only complication will come on June 26, when the Iran–Egypt match starts at 8:00 p.m., leaving less time to prepare the show.
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