🔮 Seattle predictions for 2026

What Will Be the Biggest Story in Seattle This Year?

Nobody understands a city’s pulse quite like a City Cast host — their knack for spotting what matters proved them to be a reliable voice for 2025’s biggest local stories. Now, we’re turning to them to forecast what’s in store for 2026. From political shifts to data centers, their perspectives offer a candid preview of the issues and surprises that could shape our hometowns. Curious what’s around the corner? Catch their unique insights on our latest podcast episode, where hosts from all 13 City Cast cities predicted this year’s biggest stories.

Here’s a preview from Seattle’s part of the episode:

Local Politics

• Zohran Mamdani’s election in New York has energized Democratic Socialists across the U.S. Seattle got a taste of that with the election of Katie Wilson, but it’s yet to be seen if she has the same star power or sway inside City Hall.
• City Cast Seattle host Jane C. Hu says the linchpin of Wilson’s election is likely to come with this summer’s FIFA World Cup, as advocates for the city’s unhoused population watch whether Wilson will sweep encampments as previous mayors have.
• “It’s gonna be interesting to see what she decides there, because there's going to be tension between what people elected her for and what action she’s actually able to take,” Hu says.

How’s a Bingo Card Different From a Busy Parking Lot? 🎯

Unlike literally any local Trader Joe’s parking garage, bingo cards always have a free space! Our team actually has a lot of predictions for Seattle this year, so we decided to make a bingo card! This way we can keep track throughout 2026 and then brag when we hit BINGO! And as you can see below, some of these guesses are much more realistic than others… (I’ll never forget you, Sasquatch! 😭)

What’s on Your 2026 Bingo Card? ⤵️

We want to hear from you! What did we miss? Share your predictions for the year ahead by texting/calling the City Cast Seattle “hotline” at 206-880-3931 or just reply to this email. We’ll share this card over on our Instagram, too.