With two years to go before Vancouver officially welcomes soccer fans from across the globe, the city is unveiling its plans for the FIFA Fan Festival.
The city says Hastings Park at the PNE will be the site of the festival. There, people will be able to watch matches on the big screen of the new amphitheatre.
The FIFA Fan Festival will start on June 11, 2026, and end on July 19, 2026. In addition to showing matches, the festival will feature live entertainment, food, and more.
More plans are expected in the months to come.
“The FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver promises to be the ultimate destination for those without a match ticket to soak in the excitement during the 2026 tournament,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.
“This is an opportunity to host not only our city and province, but the entire world in a once-in-a-generation event for any city. Additionally, the spectacular new amphitheatre, which will open in time for FIFA World Cup 2026, will be an important arts and cultural legacy venue for British Columbia,” added PNE President and CEO Shelley Frost.
Construction on the new amphitheatre, which is expected to hold roughly 10,000 people when complete, is underway. The building’s concept was revealed in April 2023.
The PNE said at the time that the amphitheatre’s roof will be longer than the Richmond Oval’s, and will be “one of the longest clear-span roofs in the world.”
Vancouver is set to host seven games during the FIFA World Cup. In April, the province announced updated estimates more than doubled initial anticipated costs of hosting the games. The gross core cost was between $483 million and $581 million as of April 2024.
The government said while costs are increasing, so too are estimated revenues and recoveries. It added that B.C. is getting $116 million in direct funding from the federal government.
An additional $230 million in revenue is anticipated from things like the major events municipal and regional district tax introduced by Vancouver in 2023, with another up to $90 million expected from other revenue sources.
With all these factors considered, the B.C. government has said the “net core cost of seven” games is expected to be between $100 million and $145 million.