Two-month FIFA World Cup closure of Pacific Boulevard begins this weekend | Daily Hive

Two-month-long FIFA World Cup closure of Pacific Boulevard next to BC Place Stadium begins this weekend

Pacific Boulevard outside BC Place Stadium, with temporary electrical lines running above the roadway in reparation for the FIFA World Cup, as seen on May 19, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

A segment of a key arterial roadway in Northeast False Creek in Downtown Vancouver will undergo a prolonged two-month full closure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Beginning this Saturday, May 23, the segment of Pacific Boulevard between Smithe Street and Carrall Street will be fully closed until late July, when the post-tournament teardown of the setup, fixtures, and equipment nears completion.

This segment of Pacific Boulevard is immediately south of the stadium, and it will be closed to not only vehicles, but also the public in general — pedestrians and cyclists — as it will be part of the venue’s operational and logistical footprint, all behind security fencing.

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Furthermore, during this two-month period, the Cambie Street Bridge’s northbound off-ramp onto Pacific Boulevard will also be fully closed to vehicles, and the very short segment of Pacific Boulevard between Nelson Street and Smithe Street will be turned into a two-way roadway on non-match days to retain vehicle access for Parq Vancouver casino resort and the One Pacific residential building.

Finalized plans for match day road closures

However, during BC Place Stadium’s seven match days on June 13, 18, 21, 24, and 26 and July 2 and 7, the full road closures will be significantly expanded to other streets in the vicinity, including:

Pacific Boulevard between Cambie Street and Smithe Street
Pacific Boulevard/Quebec Street between Carrall Street and Terminal Avenue
Expo Boulevard between Smithe Street and Quebec Street
Quebec Street between Keefer Street and Expo Boulevard
Carrall Street south of Keefer Street
Griffiths Way
Keefer Street between Carrall Street and Quebec Street
Beatty Street between Smithe Street and Robson Street
Robson Street between Cambie Street and Beatty Street

In addition to the full road closure segments, there will be partial road closures on all match days for other streets within peripheral areas, with controlled access enabling local traffic only — specifically residents and businesses. Local traffic on match days will only be allowed on certain additional closed segments of Marinaside Crescent, Cooperage Way, Beatty Street, Cambie Street, Abbott Street, Keefer Place, Taylor Street, Carrall Street, and Milross Avenue, as well as a long stretch of Quebec Street between Terminal Avenue/Science World and East 2nd Avenue.

It should also be noted that curbside street parking will not be permitted on these roadways.

fifa world cup non-match day road closures bc place vancouver

Finalized plan for FIFA World Cup non-match day road closures on Pacific Boulevard next to BC Place Stadium from May 23 to late July 2026. (City of Vancouver)

fifa world cup vancouver bc place road closures match days

Finalized plan for full and partial (local traffic only) road closures on FIFA World Cup match days at BC Place Stadium. (City of Vancouver)

The only way spectators can enter BC Place Stadium on match days

BC Place Stadium’s Pacific Boulevard side will be the only spectator entrance for all FIFA World Cup matches — part of the seamless secure venue footprint that also encompasses a major part of the Plaza of Nations site and the surface parking lots on the Concord Pacific lands and beneath the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts. There will be no stadium access from Beatty Street, Smithe Street, or Expo Boulevard.

Ticket holders for the matches must reach this specific area in Northeast False Creek to access the stadium entrance — by walking along the “Last Mile” car-free, pedestrian promenade along Quebec Street and Pacific Boulevard, with the main entrance to this walking route located on Quebec Street immediately west of SkyTrain’s Main Street-Science World Station and a secondary entrance at the intersection of Quebec Street and Pacific Boulevard from Keefer Street for those walking from the Downtown Vancouver peninsula.

fifa world cup georgia viaduct decorations may 19 2026

FIFA World Cup’s decorations/wayfinding on the Georgia Viaduct for the Last Mile walking route on Pacific Boulevard to the BC Place Stadium entrance, as seen on May 19, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

While walking on the Last Mile route, the entrance into the secure stadium area will be at where Carrall Street meets Pacific Boulevard. Security screening will also occur in this area — not entirely dissimilar to the area’s configuration during the 2010 Winter Olympics for spectators to enter BC Place Stadium and Rogers Arena.

However, the security perimeter and controlled access around BC Place Stadium will be much more stringent for the FIFA World Cup than the Olympics, when the Beatty Street entrance was used for station ingress only, and the Expo Boulevard entrance was used for egress only.

SkyTrain’s Stadium-Chinatown Station is normally the closest station to BC Place Stadium, but for the FIFA World Cup, there will be no access to the venue or the “Last Mile” walking route for the only stadium entrance from this station, with spectators required to use Main Street-Science World Station as the nearest station. But Stadium-Chinatown Station and the False Creek seawall’s pathways will remain open for local access.

bc place vancouver access fifa world cup

Finalized plan for BC Place Stadium’s FIFA World Cup venue footprint, including the Last Mile walking route and entrance locations, sole stadium entrance, and SkyTrain access from Main Street-Science World Station. (City of Vancouver)

bc place stadium translink last mile skytrain main street science world station map

All access to BC Place Stadium during FIFA World Cup matches will be made via the Last Mile pedestrian route starting outside SkyTrain’s Main Street-Science World Station. (TransLink)

Eligible residents and businesses can receive a local traffic access pass to reach their private parking facilities

As for how residents and businesses can access their off-road private parking facilities from streets that are closed to vehicles on match days, except for local traffic, the City of Vancouver has introduced a temporary Local Traffic Access Pass program.

This pass is required for anyone driving on local traffic-only streets during match days and must be displayed on the vehicle dashboard for inspection by police or traffic staff. It should be strongly emphasized that this pass is only for access to private parking facilities and does not allow general vehicle access on streets with controlled access.

Eligibility for passes includes residents, short-term rental hosts, businesses with private parking, building operations staff, and monthly parking permit holders. Residents will automatically receive one pass by mail and may request up to two additional passes, while short-term rental hosts can request extra guest passes. Businesses and property managers must apply for employee or operational vehicle access. Courier, delivery, and waste collection services are not eligible for the program.

Applications for the pass can be submitted online through the City’s Local Traffic Access Pass Request Form. Requests submitted by June 5, 2026, are more likely to arrive before the tournament begins. Passes can either be mailed or picked up in person at the City’s Engineering Client Services Counter on West Broadway, and applications will continue to be accepted throughout the tournament period.

Deliveries can still be made on local traffic-only streets by walking and cycling, but not by vehicle.

The streets where vehicles are still permitted are expected to be congested on match days, especially before match kickoff times. The City is encouraging impacted residents and businesses with the pass to plan ahead for enabling access to move their vehicles in and out of the private parking facility.

It should also be noted that three matches begin later in the evening (Wednesday, June 26 and Thursday, July 2 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 13 at 9 p.m.), two matches begin early in the afternoon (Wednesday, June 24 at 12 p.m. and Tuesday, July 7 at 1 p.m.), one match begins early evening (Sunday, June 21 at 6 p.m.), and one match begins mid-afternoon (Thursday, June 18 at 3 p.m.). Matches held on weekends or involving Team Canada (June 18 and 24) could produce even larger crowds in the surrounding area.

Extensive official FIFA World Cup-branded decorations, wayfinding, and other signage will be installed around Northeast False Creek, especially outside BC Place Stadium, the stadium’s outdoor footprint, and the Last Mile walking route.

Car-free, pedestrian zone in the Granville Entertainment District for five weeks

For more than five weeks, over the duration of the tournament, a five-block-long segment of Granville Street between Davie Street and West Georgia Street will be fully closed to vehicles for its major activation into a lively FIFA World Cup pedestrian zone.

The cross streets will remain open to vehicle traffic, of course, and TransLink buses will be rerouted to Seymour Street and Howe Street, which will see the temporary installation of 24/7 bus lanes to help support the efficient and reliable movement of buses.

The pedestrian zone will operate from June 11 to July 19. The setup process will begin in early June. More details on access and traffic management will be made available very soon.

According to Downtown Van (the local business improvement association for Downtown Vancouver), which is leading the efforts to beautify and activate the pedestrian zone, there will be expanded patios, art installations, fun programming, local businesses, vendors, and live music.

The pedestrian zone’s beautification and activation is supported by a $1.1 million budget, including $800,000 from Downtown Van and a $300,000 contribution from the City. Additionally, the City will support operational needs, such as traffic management, street closures, sanitation, and public safety and security.

2026 fifa world cup banners granville street vancouver

2026 FIFA World Cup street banners installed on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

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