Climate Pledge Arena

Climate Pledge Arena is the first arena in the world to achieve ILFI (International Living Future Institute) Zero Carbon Certification -- based on 12 consecutive months of actual operational performance data, not just design targets. Key features: 100% renewable electricity (1,300 on-site solar panels + Renewable Energy Credits); rainwater harvested from the 1962 World's Fair roof for the ice surface ("the greenest ice in the NHL"); zero single-use plastics; compostable packaging only; 75%+ locally sourced food; free public transit with every ticket; bike valet; no surface parking surrounding the arena; and a 200-foot living wall. The naming itself -- the arena is named after Amazon's Climate Pledge initiative -- makes climate action central to every event.

Yes -- every ticket to any public event at Climate Pledge Arena includes a free King County Metro bus and Sound Transit Link Light Rail pass, valid from 2 hours before doors open until 2 hours after the event ends. In the first year this benefit was available, 25% of Kraken and Storm fans used public transit to arrive. The free transit pass is one of the most significant fan-facing sustainability initiatives in professional sports.

The arena's 1962 World's Fair roof (a Seattle Landmark and National Historic Places listing) was required to be preserved. To build a larger, deeper arena underneath it, the entire 44-million-pound roof was lifted and suspended above the site while 680,000 cubic yards of soil was excavated beneath. This allowed an entirely new arena to be built under the preserved historic roof -- essentially creating a new building inside the footprint of the old one. The construction required 3 years and cost approximately $1.15 billion (entirely privately funded, no city funds).

Take the Seattle Center Monorail from Westlake Center (downtown) to Seattle Center -- a 90-second journey to the arena's front door. Alternatively, take King County Metro Route D, 1, 2, 3, 8, 13, or 29 to Seattle Center. All transit is free with your event ticket. From Sea-Tac Airport, take Link Light Rail to Westlake Station, then the Monorail to Seattle Center (total approximately 50 minutes). No transit payment required -- just show your event ticket.

The 200-foot living wall of greenery is the centrepiece of Climate Pledge Arena's Alaska Airlines Atrium -- the arena's main entrance hall. The living wall is Amazon's vision brought to life by Populous, featuring real plants and greenery suspended in the soaring atrium space. It reinforces the arena's sustainability and biophilic design mission, bringing the Pacific Northwest's natural world into the heart of an urban arena.

Climate Pledge Arena harvests rainwater from its historic 1962 World's Fair roof (abundant in Seattle) and transports it through a 15,000-gallon underground cistern where it is filtered, purified, and pumped into electric Zamboni ice-resurfacing machines. The result is what Populous lead architect Geoff Cheong called "truly the greenest ice in the NHL." The rainwater system eliminates the need for treated municipal water for ice-making and reduces the arena's overall water consumption.

Climate Pledge Arena is home to: the Seattle Kraken (NHL, expansion 2021); Seattle Storm (WNBA, returned to arena 2022); Seattle Torrent (PWHL, 2025-26 inaugural season -- debuted with a US women's hockey attendance record of 16,014 fans); and Seattle University Redhawks men's basketball. The Rat City Roller Derby league also uses the arena.

Yes -- Climate Pledge Arena was designed for "360-degree ADA Accessibility with no visible back of house." Wheelchair and companion seating throughout; accessible restrooms on all levels; free transit pass includes accessible King County Metro and Link Light Rail; Metro ACCESS paratransit (206-263-3113); bike valet; EV charging in Seattle Center garages. The arena's park-like campus setting provides the most accessible approach environment of any NHL arena.

The north plaza of Climate Pledge Arena features a massive cathedral glass window through which the entire seating bowl is visible from outside the building -- at roughly eye level with the centre-hung scoreboard. It is one of the most remarkable architectural vantage points in American sport. The north plaza also overlooks the Space Needle (steps away), MoPOP (Museum of Pop Culture), and the broader Seattle Center campus. No other NHL arena provides this inside-out view of the seating bowl from the public plaza.

Tickets via Ticketmaster (official marketplace) and nhl.com/kraken. Box Office at 334 1st Avenue North (206-217-9700). Every ticket includes a free transit pass. Bike valet available at the arena.