Vancouver mayor proposes free FIFA World Cup screenings at BC Place Stadium on non-match days
If the motion is approved as proposed, Sim would ask provincial Crown corporation PavCo — the operator of the stadium — and FIFA to make BC Place Stadium available on non-match days, with the new “like-for-like” centre-hung jumbotron video screen used to broadcast matches being played in other host cities.
Free entry into FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE fairgrounds already planned, but not for the live match screenings within the new PNE amphitheatre
Additionally, the motion would also provide Sim with the permission to seek support from the provincial government to allow the separate admission for the live match screenings at the new PNE amphitheatre during the FIFA Fan Festival to be free of charge.
While there will be free general admission to enter the FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE fairgrounds, the current plan calls for charging an admission fee for entry into the 10,000-spectator capacity amphitheatre to watch live match screenings.
In a statement to Daily Hive Offside upon inquiry, Mayor Sim said, “It’s important that there are opportunities for the FIFA World Cup to be enjoyed by everyone in Vancouver. This motion is meant to proactively ensure that the FIFA Fan Fest and viewing parties at the PNE remain free and accessible to all residents regardless of income.”
Outside of the ticketed access to the amphitheatre for live screenings, free entry to the fan festival at the fairgrounds is expected to include access to food and beverage offerings, commercial and sponsorship activations, official 2026 FIFA World Cup merchandise sales, and a range of additional activities and programming. Additional premium ticketed options would also be available for those seeking enhanced experiences and special packages.
As well, when matches are not being screened at the amphitheatre, live concerts by Canadian talent and global acts are expected to take to the stage.
More details on the precise offerings and schedules are expected to be announced closer to the tournament, including the lineup for the live concerts.
Late last year, Jessie Adcock, the lead for FIFA’s local host organizing committee under the City of Vancouver, shared that the fan festival at the fairgrounds will have an overall capacity for at least 25,000 people per day.
As a FIFA requirement, each host city is required to stage an official FIFA Fan Festival throughout the tournament, with live screenings being central to the programming.
This fan festival is similar to the Live City Yaletown and Live City Downtown festivals held throughout the duration of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Olympic festivals organized by the City offered free entry, with programming entailing live concerts and performances, nightly fireworks, sponsorship activations, and live screenings of the sports events, including the men’s ice hockey final.
September 2025 construction progress on the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)
Artistic rendering of the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture/PNE)
Artistic rendering of the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture/PNE)
BC Place Stadium will host a total of seven matches, with the first scheduled for Saturday, June 13, and Vancouver’s final match — a round-of-16 fixture — set for Tuesday, July 7. Road closures will be in effect around the stadium throughout the entire five-week tournament period, including a non-match-day road closure plan and significantly more extensive closures on match days, when well over 50,000 ticket holders are expected to attend, along with potentially tens of thousands of additional people drawn to the surrounding area to be close to the action.
These measures include the creation of a car-free, pedestrian-only corridor along Pacific Street/Pacific Boulevard between SkyTrain’s Yaletown-Roundhouse Station and Main Street-Science World Station on match days. This main pedestrian route for BC Place Stadium’s ingress and egress is also expected to be heavily activated as a fan zone, potentially featuring performance stages, cultural programming, themed zones, interactive activations, and FIFA merchandise retail areas.
It is not immediately clear how expanding the stadium’s use for live screening spectator events on non-match days could impact the road closure and security plans.
As for the FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE, the festival will operate every day that matches are played across the tournament’s 16 host cities. Over 39 days, starting with the opener on Thursday, June 11, in Mexico City and ending with the championship final on July 19 in New York/New Jersey, a total of 104 matches will be played across the 16 host cities. During this 39-day period, there will be five “rest days” when no matches are being played in any city.
The $184-million amphitheatre is now in the final stages of construction, with its completion and opening slated just weeks before its use for the fan festival. The City is also spending about $20 million for the fan festival’s programming and operating costs.
TransLink is expected to operate special shuttle bus services along Renfrew Street, connecting SkyTrain’s 29th Avenue Station and Renfrew Station with the PNE fairgrounds for fans attending the events. A similar shuttle bus service also runs during the PNE Fair period each year.
Live City Yaletown at David Lam Park during the 2010 Winter Olympics. (Alfred Shum/Flickr)
Vancouver 2010 Olympics’ Live City Yaletown festival at David Lam Park. (Inventa)
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