Nintendo of America announced on Tuesday that it will bring its “Nintendo Live” stage show to Seattle in September.
Billed as an “all-ages celebration of Nintendo fun,” the show will feature live stage performances, gaming tournaments, open stations for playing video games on the Nintendo Switch, and photo opportunities with “some of your favorite Nintendo characters.”
“Fans of all ages can currently experience the unique games, characters, and worlds of Nintendo on Nintendo Switch, but we want to expand that scope with a new audience,” Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser said in a news release.
Nintendo has not yet announced a venue for the event or any specifics about its programming schedule.
The Nintendo Live shows have been exclusive to Japan since their debut in 2017. After taking a couple years off during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nintendo restarted Live as a two-day event at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center last October.
That show included live tournaments for Nintendo games such as Splatoon 3 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; a concert featuring music from Splatoon 3 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons; a stage show where two Japanese comedians played Nintendo Switch Sports; and a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe competition between professional players. Similar programming is expected in Seattle.
Nintendo’s announcement comes on the heels of the opening weekend for the new film The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which stars Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) as the voice of Mario. SMBM overcame a harsh critical reception to pull in $204.6 million at the domestic box office in its debut weekend.
Further, next month marks the debut of the hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch exclusive The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a direct sequel to the 2018 hit Breath of the Wild. It’s likely that Tears will drive much of the conversation in the games industry for the rest of 2023, despite what’s turning into a stacked release calendar.
