New video board and fan zones part of BC Place's World Cup upgrades

New video board, elevators, and fan zones: How BC Place Stadium will be upgraded for the FIFA World Cup

Existing centre video board and turf field of BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

BC Place Stadium is set to see its most significant upgrades yet ever since its last major overhaul nearly 15 years ago, when the transformation provided the venue with a new retractable roof.

Just in time for Vancouver’s role as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 1983-built stadium will see a mix of projects that improve accessibility, spectator areas and experiences, and dedicated facilities for athletes and media, as well as the fulfillment of FIFA-specific requirements.

During a media briefing today, the combined cost of these upgrades was noted to be between $149 million and $196 million, which includes not only the capital costs but also the operational costs to support FIFA’s five-week tournament. At the moment, there is no finer estimate for the capital cost portion.

These stadium-related costs will be fully covered by the provincial government through BC Pavilion Corporation, which owns and operates both the stadium and Vancouver Convention Centre.

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The various upgrades will be performed over the next two years, with some of the work already underway.

There will be major accessibility improvements from an overhaul of the three existing small elevators and the potential construction of three additional large elevators for a total of six passenger elevators.

Washrooms across the stadium will be renovated, including the addition of several gender-neutral facilities. The washrooms were last renovated just in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Perhaps the most visible upgrade will be the installation of a brand-new centre-suspended video board, which will replace the existing board that came with the retractable roof. According to stadium officials, the existing four-sided board is nearing the end of its lifespan, and it currently sees the frequent need for makeshift repairs. As well, the new video board will use the latest major advancements in stadium screen technology, and provide better sight lines for all seating areas.

Existing centre video board of BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

As for the fan experience, there will be major changes to the Edgewater Lounge on Level 3. Currently, the expansive balcony lounge on the east end of the stadium is typically used as a premium experience. However, the upcoming upgrade will level out and open up the space as a new fan zone that will be accessible to everyone under general admission. Such open fan zones on a balcony align with the latest stadium standards and offerings.

Under-utilized enclosed office space currently found on Level 3 next to the Edgewater Lounge will also be opened up as additional spectator areas, making better use of this “valuable real estate” in an ideal balcony footprint inside the stadium.

On the opposite end of the Edgewater Lounge, the existing storage space for the BC Sports Hall of Fame will be relocated to a new purpose-built museum-calibre secure storage area within a lower level of the stadium, which will make way for additional spectator areas on Level 3. About 8,000 sq ft of spectator areas will be gained from these Level 3 changes.

Existing Edgewater Lounge at BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Down below on Level 1, the existing food court will be overhauled into an enclosed purpose-built multi-functional space of about 10,000 sq ft for events, and the existing event room adjacent to the food court will see an update.

These new and improved fan zone spaces on Level 3 and purpose-built event spaces on Level 1 will become bookable spaces for smaller events of up to 800 people, providing the stadium with a new ancillary source of revenue and complementing the types of uses seen by the Vancouver Convention Centre.

The changes being made to the food court on Level 1 are also due to the need to build a players’ tunnel for the main entrance and exit point onto the field. Under FIFA regulations, the players’ tunnel for both players and referees before they enter the field must be located at the field of play’s halfway line. Currently, players enter the field from the stadium’s end zones.

Old and outdated player dressing rooms and facilities currently shared by the Vancouver Whitecaps and BC Lions will be renovated, including new washrooms, individual shower stalls, and other purpose-built equipment and facilities.

Existing food court on Level 1 at BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Existing meeting room in Level 1 at BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Existing equipment in a meeting room on Level 1 at BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Existing shower area in the shared players’ change room at BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Existing players’ change room at BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The existing turf field installed in early 2022 will be replaced by a natural grass field, in accordance with FIFA requirements. According to stadium officials, an assessment is currently being conducted to determine whether the natural grass will be retained after the World Cup as a permanent feature of the stadium, which would vastly improve the field of play quality for the Whitecaps and Lions, and other soccer, football, and rugby events. They are weighing the tradeoffs, given the high maintenance needs of natural grass, and the logistical challenges for the stadium’s role as a multi-functional venue for not only sports events, but also major concerts, festivals, and trade shows.

The stadium’s turf field is replaced roughly every five years, when the playing surface reaches the end of its lifespan from heavy wear and tear. For events that require a hard-level surface, such as concerts, temporary flooring is installed over the turf field, and then promptly removed if there is a sports game the next day.

It was noted that several natural grass field options are being tested by FIFA in the United States for use in the tournament venues.

Existing centre video board and turf field of BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Other upgrades that will be performed in time for the World Cup include an upgraded broadcast room with modernized facilities for increased in-house video feeds, commercial broadcasts, and improved ability to provide in-game presentation services, as well as upgrades to other stadium technology, such as improved W-Fi.

During today’s press conference, Chris May, the general manager of BC Place Stadium, said the upgrades will enable the venue to maintain its competitive edge for attracting concerts and other events. He says many upgrades were already planned to some degree, with the World Cup providing the impetus to carry out the improvements.

As a case in point, in 2021, Montreal withdrew from the World Cup host city selection process due in part to the poor condition of Olympic Stadium. In February 2024, Quebec’s provincial government announced an $870 million, four-year renovation of Olympic Stadium, including the installation of a a new replacement roof. Quebec’s minister of tourism, Caroline Proulx, cited the stadium’s deteriorating condition as the reason why pop superstar Taylor Swift’s massive world tour has no plans to schedule concert dates in Montreal.

In contrast, BC Place Stadium will be the final stop of Swift’s Eras world tour, with three concerts scheduled for December 6, 7, and 8, 2024.

“BC Place has proudly hosted some of the world’s greatest sports, music, and events throughout the past four decades,” said May.

“The addition of FIFA World Cup 26 markets a significant new milestone and signals the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our journey. The critical upgrades and renovations we’ll be making are also driven by legacy and a commitment to community.”

Vancouver 2026 FIFA World Cup press conference at BC Place Stadium on April 30, 2026. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

In late 2023, construction work also began on the installation of three new additional outdoor advertising video boards, and the replacement of the existing freestanding digital board next to the Georgia Viaduct. All four outdoor advertising video boards are expected to reach completion later in 2024, which will provide the stadium with an additional ancillary revenue source.

Out of the tournament’s 16 stadiums, the 55,000-seat BC Place Stadium, widely considered Canada’s flagship stadium, is the fourth smallest stadium in terms of spectator seating capacity. It is only ahead of the World Cup’s smallest Mexican venues — the 53,500-seat Estadio BBVA in Monterrey and the 50,000-seat Estadio Akron in Guadalajara — and ahead of Canada’s only other venue of BMO Field in Toronto, which will be expanded from its current capacity of 30,000 seats to about 46,000 seats for the tournament.

BC Place Stadium will host a total of seven matches, including a Round of 32 match and a Round of 16 match. Although BC Place Stadium has a smaller capacity than most of the 2026 venues, including every stadium in the United States, Vancouver will host more matches than eight other cities, exceeding the match assignments to Seattle, San Francisco, Kansas City, Toronto, Philadelphia, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. The number of matches assigned to Vancouver is on par with Houston, Miami, and Boston, which each have newer and larger stadiums.

Before the end of June 2024, there will be announcements on the location of Vancouver’s official FIFA Fan Festival and the training sites for the various teams playing at BC Place Stadium. The City of Vancouver has already indicated that it is recommending to FIFA that the PNE at Hastings Park be the venue of the month-long festival — where the PNE is currently building a $104 million new 10,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre with a landmark mass-timber roof. The new amphitheatre is expected to reach completion by early 2026.

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