When BC Place might get grass for World Cup and how long it could last

Bob Frid/Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Grass will replace artificial turf at BC Place for the FIFA World Cup in 2026, but how long it stays is still unclear.

The World Cup will take place in Canada, USA, and Mexico in June and July 2026. But upgrades to the field will need to be in place well before then, for testing purposes.

According to FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani, we could see real grass at BC Place as early as 2025.

“It’s not just BC Place, pretty much every stadium we have… even the ones that are grass, there’s going to be a lot of improvements required to get it up to a World Cup level,” Montagliani said recently in a television interview with Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal on CHEK. “I’m not an engineer but I believe that process will start late ’25, early ’26. It’s quite a process.”

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It’ll be interesting to monitor how many test matches Vancouver gets in the lead up to the 2026 tournament, in addition to the seven World Cup matches it’s due to host.

Despite BC Place’s roof, which has only a small retractable hole for sun to peek in, real grass will be able to grow inside for multiple months.

“Unlike what you see for friendlies, when they just come in with pallets, that’s already dead grass. It only lasts a few days,” Montagliani explained. “We are actually putting natural grass, as if it was originally there from the beginning, because it’s live. It’s live, and you have to put it in months and months before.”

Testing will occur up until a month before the first game, Montagliani said, at which point it’ll be left alone so the pitch can be in pristine condition.

“The technology is there, in terms of the lighting and the irrigation and the hydroponic stuff,” Montagliani said of maintaining a grass pitch in an indoor stadium. “We’ve done it even at other World Cups. The technology is there. I know the pitches will be in Grade A condition.”

Following the conclusion of the tournament, the grass pitch will be left behind. It’s up to Pavco, the crown corporation that runs BC Place, to decide what to do with it.

Montagliani, who is a soccer lifer from East Vancouver, may be biased, but he hopes they keep it.

“As a Vancouver guy, I would hope the powers that be do everything they can to try to keep grass in there… but that’s not my call.”

When asked by Daily Hive, a Pavco spokesperson said a decision on what to do with the grass pitch after the 2026 tournament has not yet been reached.

“We’re excited about incorporating natural grass into BC Place Vancouver but are still assessing whether it will be retained after the FIFA World Cup 26,” said the Pavco spokesperson.

While the Vancouver Whitecaps and BC Lions would surely welcome a grass field for their home games, the natural surface is more difficult and costly to maintain, particularly when BC Place hosts its non-sports events.

“As a multi-purpose venue that hosts a variety of events beyond sports, we’re navigating the balance between the required maintenance of a natural grass surface and accommodating the year-round demands of our numerous non-sporting activities,” the Pavco spokesperson added.

“With a grass pitch, it would be important for us to ensure it remains in optimal condition, especially during events like concerts, which can require more than a week of production. While natural grass fields can withstand shorter durations under flooring, preserving their integrity for eight days or more poses considerable challenges.”