The FIFA World Cup 26™ is expected to hit the highest of notes, from the sounds of jubilant fans in stadiums and sublime skills of the greatest players in the world, to the historic first half-time show at the final in New York New Jersey Stadium. And the diversity and creativity of the global showpiece has been amplified by FIFA’s unique Sonic ID initiative, which launched in March.
Some of the most talented and influential producers from the 16 Host Cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States have come together to create bespoke Sonic IDs – audio brands that connect the FIFA World Cup 26 with Host Cities’ respective communities in a unique and memorable way.
Each Host City selected a producer to remix the Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Theme, infusing it with the distinct rhythm, vibe and cultural essence of their city. Seattle has collaborated with local producer Sango, who has infused his Sonic ID with Seattle’s rich jazz history, ferry noises and seagulls.
“The city of Seattle inspires my track through a series of things. I would definitely say the No1 thing is our… history of jazz. Having Quincy Jones spend a lot of his childhood in Seattle and Ray Charles as well in the Pacific Northwest… a lot of people don’t really know that we have a rich jazz history,” Sango said.
“I wanted to make sure that this track felt super-arranged and every layer was respected the way it was as Quincy Jones would do it. I would definitely say within this remix the one sound that stands out is the ferry noise that speaks to the Pacific Northwest.”
The Seattle Sonic ID will also be used at in-person events leading up to the tournament, inside the stadium and at FIFA fan festivals.
Fans will be able to stream, download and enjoy their city-specific Sonic IDs on popular music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and more, and watch each city’s Sonic ID visualiser on FIFA’s YouTube channel.
In addition, the full Seattle Sonic ID playlist is available on Spotify. Showcasing Seattle as a FIFA World Cup 26 Host City, this playlist showcases the city’s musical roots — from its influential grunge scene to hip-hop, rock, electronica, and indie.
Artists include Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix and Soundgarden.
