Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, aka: Laufeyland

On October 4, 2025, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena was packed full of fans of the jazz-pop singer Laufey. Many fans dressed up in long white skirts, bows, and home-made crowns, making the lines perfect for people-watching. 

Laufey showed how much she valued her fans through amazing outfits, a talented live band, and four different acts followed by an energetic encore. Her performance created a warm and personal atmosphere, which encapsulated her intimate musical style perfectly, most of her songs being about yearning and storytelling. 

At 8:00 pm, the lights slowly went off and the crowd screamed, bursting with excitement—then the lights shot onto the stage.  The dramatic red curtains that were behind the opening band disappeared, revealing a majestic castle structure and Laufey, in a beautiful light yellow ballgown. The ballgown and other outfits, a collaboration between Laufey and the American fashion brand Bode, were even the subject of a complimentary Vogue article. Timeless and whimsical, they shifted from grounded to fantastic to Disney-esque as the mood of the show changed.

It’s almost unrealistic how beautiful Laufey’s voice was. In addition to her lush backing band of violins, pianos, cellos, and more, Laufey herself would sing while playing a variety of instruments. At times, she would emulate a “jazz club” feeling, taking fewer instruments to the front of the stage to play surrounded by the crowd. Laufey has the talent to make a huge stadium feel like a small cozy and intimate room. Her voice warmed up the stadium, and soon, the crowd was singing along while still hearing her clearly. 

Laufey made the crowd feel even more closely connected to her by selecting a “Best Dressed Guest” to be recognized onstage. The girl who won Best Dressed wore a gorgeous blue dress with the skirt designed like a carousel. She even had a carousel ring in reference to the visuals and lyrics from Laufey’s A Matter of Time album! After being crowned, she was able to talk to Laufey herself—a gesture that exemplified the amazing community Laufey has and how grateful she is for her fans.

Laufey’s ability to change acts during the concert was incredible! She transitioned from a princess-themed act with ballgowns and castle imagery in the background to a black and white “jazz club,” all the way into the clocks-and-carousels aesthetic of her new album, A Matter of Time. My mom joked during the intermission that she should have a swing on stage. When the curtains parted, we saw that the prediction had come true. The swing went away after a few minutes, but it added to the whimsical feeling of the performance.

In addition to the elaborate set designs, the lights danced along with Laufey’s backup dancers, flashing black and white, slowly scanning the crowd, and beaming red lights down upon her. The lighting designs were dramatic and set the mood of how deep and intense the yearning in her songs was.

Near the end of the concert, Laufey performed a more sensitive song, “Sabotage,” about her self-sabotage and distrust. Her encore included a special song, “Serendipity,” that she only played for the city of Seattle; now, instead of singing about her longing for love, she sang about finding love and having hope for a new relationship despite the failed ones in the past. After a short speech about how she’s always felt connected to Seattle, she ended her set with  “Letter to My 13 Year Old Self,” a farewell tradition and concert closer. Laufey shared how she hoped the song could influence girls who feel they don’t fit in or are being held back, so that they can reach their goals and dreams. The song explores her childhood insecurities: how she was embarrassed that clothing wouldn’t fit her quite right, how her name’s difficult pronunciation made her feel “weird” and uncomfortable, and how her interests embarrassed her as a child. Now, she is thriving and wishes she was able to comfort her younger self. Laufey sharing a more vulnerable side made it easy to connect to her on a personal level. I related to her because I also used to feel embarrassed about my “nerdy” interests and finding clothes. 

The Laufey concert was absolutely breathtaking. A sense of community could be felt in that stadium, created by fans dressing up how they wanted, singing together, and waving flashlights. Even before the show started, just waiting in line, meeting new people, and watching the clouds pass the Space Needle felt dreamlike and surreal. This was the best concert I’ve ever been to, and I would 100% recommend seeing Laufey. Her ability to create a fantasy while remaining grounded is what makes going to see Laufey in concert so worthwhile and rewarding. 

Lead photo courtesy of Climate Pledge Arena.

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