On July 15, hundreds of drones lit up the Seattle skyline with the final score of the city's first FIFA World Cup 2026 match. It was the debut of the world's first same-day aerial scoreboard. It's something the city will be doing after each of the city's six World Cup matches.
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 along with the final result above one of the most recognizable skylines in the world.
What made it a genuine first is 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 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 captures 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.
The show has received over 500 million earned media impressions with global coverage including BBC, Geekwire, The Seattle Times, Times of India, roastbrief, Ads of the World by Clios, and Ads of Brands.
Photo credit: LIz Tiamzon
