PNE Fair records comeback attendance of 529,000 for 2022

The first closest-to-full-scale PNE Fair since the onset of the pandemic attracted a total of 529,000 visitors over its 15-day run ending on Labour Day 2022.

Following the drive-in Fair in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 and the substantially scaled back Fair of 2021, the 2022 Fair recorded one of the lowest attendance in decades.

But the lower attendance for the 112th annual Fair was completely by design, as a result of capacity restrictions on each Fair operating day.

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Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) president and CEO Shelley Frost says the 2022 Fair differed from the pre-pandemic period by implementing date specific ticketing and a reduced footprint at about 75% the size of a normal Fair. In contrast, the pre-pandemic Fair attendance target was 700,000 visitors.

This year’s Fair also saw six sold out amphitheatre concerts, and 12 days of sold-out ride passes.

“This year signified the return to a more traditional Fair and we were thrilled with guest response,” said Frost in a statement.

“This allowed us to better manage guest experience, more effectively manage resources and staffing each day and minimize community impact. Although we understand that the public evaluates Fair success by attendance numbers, COVID has taught us that bigger is not always better. With this smaller Fair, we had an overwhelmingly positive and financially successful Fair.”

The 2019 Fair attendance of about 732,000 visitors was the Fair’s highest attendance in five years. The last pre-pandemic year saw $28.8 million in Fair revenue, with a net profit of $8 million.

The drive-in Fair of 2020 attracted about 7,400 visitors, while the substantially scaled back 2021 Fair saw 239,000 visitors. The 2021 Fair’s capacity was limited to 30% due to provincial health restrictions at the time.

Here is a breakdown of the Fair’s annual attendance history:

• 2022 – 529,000 (75% sized pandemic Fair)
• 2021 – 239,000 (substantially scaled back pandemic Fair)
• 2020 – 7,362 (drive-in pandemic Fair)
• 2019 – 731,708
• 2018 – 705,381
• 2017 – 722,466
• 2016 – 712,367
• 2015 – 678,193
• 2014 – 769,242
• 2013 – 712,049
• 2012 – 763,000
• 2011 – 803,598
• 2010 – 937,485
• 2009 – 855,137
• 2008 – 753,298
• 2007 – 906,808
• 2006 – 958,781
• 2005 – 903,467

Separate from the two-week Fair period, amidst the pandemic’s serious impacts, the 2020 Playland season saw 25,006 visitors for the summer period, and about 15,400 visitors for Fright Nights and Slayland. In 2019, Playland saw 286,000 visitors during the regular season outside of the Fair, and 82,000 visitors during Fright Nights and Slayland. Playland brought in $16 million in revenues in 2019, generating a net profit of $8.7 million.

The figures for the 2021 operating season have yet to be released.

Fright Nights at Playland will be returning in October for the 2022 season.

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• Federal government provides PNE with $10 million for fairground upgrades
• Revery Architecture to design new PNE Amphitheatre
• Campaign launched to bring historic 6,000-sq-ft Challenger Map back to PNE
• Playland's redevelopment into a theme park could be scaled back
• Hastings Park and PNE eyed for Vancouver 2030 "Olympic Park" transformation