Going to Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena? Here's what you need to know before you go

It’s finally happening. Climate Pledge Arena — the world’s first zero-carbon arena, and the home of Seattle’s newest professional sports franchise — is set to open on Friday, Oct. 22.

The 800,000 square-foot arena, located at 305 Harrison St. just north of downtown, is the first in the world to be powered exclusively by renewable energy. It will serve as the home turf of the Seattle Kraken — the National Hockey League’s newest team — and the Seattle Storm, the reigning Women’s National Basketball Association champions.

It will also do double-duty as a concert and comedy show venue. Coldplay, in the band’s first live performance in five years, will headline the arena’s grand-opening ceremony on Oct. 22. The Kraken will play their first home game against the Vancouver Canucks the next night.

And while many Seattle residents may be familiar with what used to be Key Arena, they shouldn’t head to Climate Pledge Arena in the coming months expecting things to be like they were before 2018. More than $1 billion in renovations were made transforming the former into the latter. And on top of that, we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic.

If you’re planning to attend a concert or game at Climate Pledge Arena, here are some things you should do beforehand to make your experience as smooth as possible.

Download Climate Pledge Arena's new mobile app

A lot of what you’ll need to get to, and into, the arena can be found in the new Kraken+Climate Pledge Arena app.

Launched on Monday, the app allows users to digitally access their tickets and the free transit passes that come with their tickets. Users can also make parking reservations and link their CLEAR Health Pass to the app, which verifies that a user is vaccinated against COVID-19. Proof of vaccination is required to enter Climate Pledge Arena for attendees over the age of 12.

“What we want to do is make everything as quick and efficient as possible,” said Katie Townsend, a Kraken spokesperson. “The app is really a one-stop-shop for fans … we believe that by doing that, it’s going to be the most efficient way to enter the building. People don’t have to rummage around in their purse to find their vaccination card or their ID, that’s a more laborious process.”  

Download the CLEAR app

The CLEAR app allows users over the age of 17 to upload their proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to their smartphone.

“We are mandating vaccines for everyone age 12 and over,” Townsend said. “And the way to show proof of vaccination is via the CLEAR app … that is the way that we believe is the right way to keep fans, our players and our staff safe. It’s important people realize that they can’t present a negative test.”

After a user’s vaccination status is verified, the CLEAR app produces a QR code that will be scanned by arena staff. That QR code can then be linked to the Kraken+Climate Pledge Arena app. Both apps are free.

Those without smartphones will need to show their CDC-issued vaccination card, or a picture of that card, to get into the stadium.

Those ages 14 to 17 can be added to a parent or guardian’s CLEAR health pass. The minor needs to have their own smartphone, and the parent or guardian — who has to be over the age of 26 — would create an account for the minor on their own account. The parent or guardian would then give the minor their login information, and the minor can access their health pass via the CLEAR app on their own device.  

Minors without smartphones — including 13-year-olds — will need to prove their vaccination status with their CDC-issued vaccination card or a picture of that card.

Townsend said she anticipates the arena making proof of vaccination necessary for children ages 5 to 11 should the Pfizer-BioNTech be approved for use in that age range, which is expected to happen soon. However, she said the arena will give people time to get their kids vaccinated before enforcing a new rule.  

Bring your mask, leave your cash at home

By order of the governor, masks are required in indoor spaces in Washington. Masks are to be worn inside the arena unless actively eating or drinking.

Climate Pledge Arena is a cashless venue which, means all transactions will need to be made via card or mobile payments. 

Four of the arena's food and beverage locations will be equipped with Amazon’s "Just Walk Out" technology, so guests can grab what they need and go after entering their payment cards or scanning their palms over an Amazon One device. For guests who don't have the Amazon One palm recognition service, they can enroll at any of the Amazon One enrollment kiosks located near the Just Walk Out technology-enabled stores on the arena’s main and upper concourses. 

If you’re taking public transportation, plan your route

All tickets to Climate Pledge Arena come with free transit passes via ORCA. That means you can get to the arena for free by bus, light rail, water taxi, or monorail.

The NHL announced a partnership with the monorail last year to provide free transportation to and from Kraken games, making a capital investment of $7 million to fund improvement projects. Those projects included doubling the system capacity, increasing the size of the boarding areas and enhanced connections to the Link light rail and King County Metro.

“We know that when the monorail was built for the World’s Fair, it moved a lot of people every day,” Townsend said. “We believe that it can do that again.”

The new completed features will give the monorail the capacity to carry 6,000 passengers per hour.

Additionally, the Link light rail just opened its new Northgate extension earlier this month. That extension included three new stations: one near Roosevelt High School, another in Seattle’s University District and one more in Northgate near the Kraken Community Iceplex.

“We are encouraging fans to look at their public transit options,” Townsend said. “Maybe they could take the light rail — given the new stops that have been added in the last month — to downtown, and from there they could take the monorail to the arena.”

If you’re driving, reserve a parking spot

The Kraken+Climate Pledge Arena app includes an option for fans to reserve and pre-purchase parking at the arena ahead of time.

“We would love it if everyone took public transit to the arena, but if they’re not going to, I would really encourage people to think about reserving your parking,” Townsend said. “It’s going to be the cheapest way to do it, and it’s going to be the most convenient way to do it.”

Fans can reserve a spot at one of several parking lots or garages around the arena. The app will have a scan feature for use at a selected stall that verifies a user’s reservation.

“You can think about a spot that’s the distance from the arena that you want, and at the price point that you want,” Townsend said. “We want to encourage people not to be driving around the arena just trying to find a spot. Instead, we want them to have a plan for what they’re doing.”

This is good news for fans, given that parking in Seattle's Uptown neighborhood near the arena is about to become more expensive. Earlier this year, the Seattle City Council approved a plan to increase parking rates around Climate Pledge Arena in preparation for the NHL’s inaugural season in the city, raising the maximum cap for street parking to $12 per hour.