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As of this week, construction at the Killarney Park training facility is 97.5 per cent complete and remains within its $24-million budget and ahead of schedule, according to Tina Mack, director of planning and park development for the Vancouver Park Board.

The Killarney Park training facility encompasses the north grass playing field and the adjacent gravel playing field immediately north of the community centre buildings. Much of the investment went into improving the below-grade stability, as the area’s ground is soft peat.

The project includes extensive upgrades to the grass playing field, including regrading, improved soil conditions, enhanced drainage, new sand and sod turf, and the installation of a modern irrigation system. Utility infrastructure has also been upgraded to support future enhancements, including a planned sport hub as part of longer term park renewal efforts. In a few years from now, supported by the new underground drainage and utility infrastructure, the grass field will be replaced with artificial turf to create a more durable playing surface capable of accommodating significantly increased community use.

In addition, high-mast, energy-efficient LED field lighting has now been installed, improving visibility and extending use into the evening hours.

The adjacent gravel playing field has been temporarily converted into vehicle parking, including space for team buses serving those training at the facility.

Located between the grass and gravel fields, a large temporary structure has been constructed to accommodate team facilities, locker rooms, and a press conference room.

The north-facing windows of the community centre building will be screened to provide additional privacy for teams training on the field. To minimize impacts, the annual facility maintenance period that requires temporary closure of the aquatic centre and ice rink will be rescheduled to coincide with the tournament.

Construction at Killarney Park began in January 2025, and the north fields will remain closed and fully fenced off until Fall 2026, when the temporary fixtures are fully removed and the area reopens for community use.

This marks the second time Killarney Park has served as a temporary practice site for athletes during a major international sporting event. Killarney Rink — an expansion of the community centre — was originally constructed as a speed skating practice facility for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Today, VANOC’s original Olympic signage remains in place, proudly commemorating the site’s historic role in the Games.

Construction work is also ongoing at Hastings Park, where a new covered outdoor amphitheatre for up to 10,000 spectators is being built at a cost of $184 million. It will reach full completion in May 2025, just in time for its critical use as the centrepiece of Vancouver’s five-week-long official FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE fairgrounds.

As for the tournament’s field-of-play spectator venue in Vancouver, construction work is underway on BC Place Stadium’s remaining FIFA-related improvements.

BC Place Stadium’s wide range of FIFA World Cup-driven upgrades are designed not only to meet FIFA’s strict requirements, but also to secure the stadium’s future as a modern, accessible, and globally competitive venue, according to general manager Chris May.

May said many of the improvements are critical to ensure the stadium can continue attracting top-tier sports, concerts, and international events for decades to come, while also unlocking new long-term revenue opportunities.

A newly opened corner club offers views of both the field and False Creek, bringing the surrounding cityscape into the stadium. Additional upgrades include the transformation of the Edgewater Lounge into a premium bar and fan zone, as well as the creation of a new field-level club that places guests alongside the action. May said these investments will help diversify the stadium’s business, enabling everything from conferences to community activations, while strengthening the stadium’s long-term financial sustainability.

Fans can also expect a significantly enhanced game-day experience, including a brand new replacement centre-suspended video scoreboard, expanded merchandise retail space, additional washrooms — including gender-neutral facilities — and a major accessibility boost through the doubling of passenger elevator capacity.

Team facilities have now been comprehensively upgraded for the first time since the stadium opened in 1983, with overhauled locker rooms, wet rooms, and shower areas.

The stadium will also transition to FIFA-regulated natural grass, with a locally-grown surface currently being cultivated in the Fraser Valley and installation scheduled to begin in late April 2026. After the tournament, the grass will be removed, and a new artificial turf surface will be put in.

Despite the stadium’s heavy event schedule, May acknowledged that construction has required careful coordination to minimize disruption. Rather than closing the stadium for an extended period, work is being carried out in phases around events, with construction continuing in concourse areas through the Vancouver Whitecaps’ final match before the tournament.

A total of seven matches will be played at BC Place Stadium, including five group-stage matches beginning on June 13, a round-of-32 match on July 2, and a round-of-16 match on July 6, which is the final FIFA World Cup match that will be held in Vancouver. The championship final match will be held in New York/New Jersey on July 19.

May says the first event coming out of the tournament will be the BC Lions’ first home game scheduled for July 25, 2026, when the stadium will fully return to normal operations.

As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized, there will be extensive temporary road closures in and near the downtown Vancouver peninsula to safely support BC Place Stadium’s operations, during both non-match and match days over the five-week-long tournament period. This includes an almost three-km-long, east-west car-free, pedestrian-only route and fan zone for spectators along Pacific Street, Pacific Boulevard, and Quebec Street between the Canada Line’s Yaletown-Roundhouse Station and the Expo Line’s Main Street-Science World Station.

Vancouver will also soon begin to look the part of a FIFA World Cup host city. Starting in early 2026, installation will begin on extensive FIFA-branded “Look of the Tournament” decorations and dressings across the city and sites of importance, including Vancouver’s streets, bridges, SkyTrain stations, major public spaces, and Vancouver International Airport.

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