Drones Light Up Seattle Skyline with Final Scores

Visit Seattle, the official destination marketing organization for Seattle and King County, launched the world’s first drone scoreboard during the city's inaugural FIFA World Cup 26™ matches on June 15 and 19.

Developed to honor a once-in-a-generation sports moment, visiting fans and residents gathered at Seattle Center to catch the futuristic scoreboard in the sky next to the iconic Space Needle. The nightly scoreboard, which broadcasts each team’s final score along with their country’s flag, will continue for the duration of Seattle’s World Cup matches – aiming to showcase the city’s culture of innovation and fandom to the world, driving visitation for years to come. All shows are free and open to the public.

Chances to See the Drone Scoreboard in Seattle
There are four more chances to see the drone scoreboard. Show times are subject to change, but will generally start in the window of 10 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. PT. Seattle Center’s International Fountain (305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109) is the best viewing point.

Times and dates of future shows:
Wednesday, June 24 show at 10 p.m. PT (Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Qatar)
Friday, June 26 show after 11 p.m. PT (Egypt vs. Iran)
Wednesday, July 1 show at 11:30 p.m. PT (Match 82)
Monday, July 6 showtime TBD (Match 94)
*times are subject to change

Created by Copacino Fujikado and C+C for Visit Seattle, the activation transforms the night sky into a scoreboard after each of Seattle's six World Cup matches, with drones forming the competing nations' flags and the final result above one of the most recognizable skylines in the world. This is the first time that a same-day score has been implemented as part of a drone show. Shows are 12 minutes long and feature 400 drones. In addition to the scoreboard, the show displays elements evoking Seattle, like the city skyline and the signature SeattleFWC26 “whale tail” inspired by Northwest artist Shogo Ota's World Cup poster design.

Drone shows are typically programmed and approved weeks in advance, making real-time content nearly impossible. Copacino Fujikado and Sky Elements built the creative system ahead of time with only the score left open for edit. Once the final whistle blew, the result was inserted, the animation files were updated, and the revised show flew over downtown that same evening.

"Seattle is a city that invents what's next and shows up for its teams,” said Scott Foreman, CEO of Copacino Fujikado. “A scoreboard in the sky isn't just a stunt for Seattle, it's an expression of it.

"Beyond the technical feat, the scoreboard captured what Seattle is all about: innovation and a deep love of sports. Last night, it gave fans downtown a new way to celebrate together," said Stephanie Byington, CMO of Visit Seattle.

The drone scoreboard will appear after every Seattle-hosted World Cup match, becoming a recurring tradition that fans and media will be excited to follow game after game.