Live Nation and Seattle’s First Avenue Entertainment announced plans on May 18, 2026 for a new 5,500-capacity indoor music venue in SoDo, targeted to open in 2029. The venue is named the SoDo Ballroom and will be built at The Boxyard on 1st Avenue S, directly across from T-Mobile Park and adjacent to Victory Hall.
The room is designed to fill a gap in Seattle’s venue infrastructure. The current jump between Showbox SoDo at roughly 1,800 capacity and WaMu Theater at 9,000 leaves a wide mid-size gap — the SoDo Ballroom is sized for artists who have outgrown theaters but aren’t yet filling arenas. Design is by Blueprint Studio, Live Nation’s in-house group, in partnership with LMN Architects. The stated aesthetic is brick, wood, and glass — industrial heritage with modern production infrastructure.
For electronic music specifically, the gap has meant Seattle regularly misses touring acts at that size. The Showbox SoDo has handled some of that load but is not a purpose-built dance music room. A 5,500-cap venue with flexible staging and modern production would meaningfully expand what Seattle can book.
The project is projected to generate $129 million annually in economic impact and create over 700 jobs. Victory Hall will be retained as a flexible lobby and event space. More at sodoballroom.com.