Long lines as thousands flock to FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver for World Cup kickoff | Daily Hive

Crowds at the new PNE amphitheatre's general admission floor area at Vancouver's FIFA World Cup Fan Festival, during Mexico's opening ceremony on June 11, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Thousands of soccer fans streamed into Vancouver’s official FIFA World Cup Fan Festival at the PNE fairgrounds this morning, marking the first day of both the free festival and the 2026 FIFA World Cup across North America.

Before the entrance gates into the fairgrounds opened at 10 a.m. PDT, a long line of thousands of people had already formed outside along Renfrew Street — just one of five entrances into the fan festival — with a particularly strong turnout from Vancouver’s Mexican community eager to watch the live broadcast of the tournament’s Mexico opening ceremony and opening match between Mexico and South Africa, held at Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca).

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup features an opening ceremony for each of the three host countries, with the opening ceremony and match for Canada at Toronto Stadium (BMO Field) on Saturday, June 12, at 10:30 a.m. PDT and the opening ceremony and match for the United States at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) later in the day at 4:30 p.m. PDT.

This morning at the fan festival, many fans arrived draped in Mexican flags, wearing national team jerseys, cultural costumes, and carrying banners and noisemakers — transforming the main entrance at the intersection of Hastings Street and Renfrew Street into a sea of green, white, and red.

Public transit is the best way to get to Vancouver’s FIFA World Cup Fan Festival at Hastings Park/PNE.

This was the long line to enter the most prominent entrance, as seen from TransLink’s No. 11 FIFA Fan Fest Express. #FIFAWorldCup #WeAreVancouver 2/4https://t.co/IRGgRyH2AQ pic.twitter.com/HC6xRnttWp

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 11, 2026

Time-lapse video of the long line to enter the main Hastings/Renfrew entrance into the FIFA World Cup Fan Festival at Hastings Park/PNE.

One of 5 entrances.

This was the snaking line just before the 10 am gate opening. #FIFAWorldCup #WeAreVancouver 3/4https://t.co/IRGgRyH2AQ pic.twitter.com/RLDrAROnWl

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 11, 2026

fifa world cup fan festival pne hastings park vancouver june 11 2026

Renfrew/Hastings entrance; long lines to enter Vancouver’s FIFA World Cup Fan Festival at the PNE fairgrounds at Hastings Park, before the opening of the fairgrounds on the morning of June 11, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

The atmosphere resembled a match day gathering in Mexico, with chants of “Mexico!” echoing throughout the lineup as supporters waited to enter — as well as inside the fan festival, throughout the fairgrounds and under the brand-new PNE amphitheatre.

As gates opened shortly before the ceremony’s start time, spectators poured into the expansive fan festival site, with many making a beeline for the trio of giant video screens at the amphitheatre, and many seeking the 2,600 free standing-room general admission spaces on the amphitheatre floor on a first-come, first-served basis.

While many opted to enter through the prominent main fairground entrance at the intersection of Hastings and Renfrew streets, it should also be noted that there are a total of five entrances into the fan festival, with the other entrances located on Miller Drive (Gate 10; east of Hastings Racecourse), Pacific Coliseum (Gate 4), intersection of Renfrew Street and Pandora Street (Gate 2), and the intersection of Hastings Street and Lillooet Street (Gate 14).

Miller Drive entrance; long lines to enter Vancouver’s FIFA World Cup Fan Festival at the PNE fairgrounds at Hastings Park, before the opening of the fairgrounds on the morning of June 11, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

The very first members of the general public entering Vancouver’s FIFA World Cup Fan Festival this morning, Day 1. #FIFAWorldCup #WeAreVancouver 4/4https://t.co/IRGgRyH2AQ pic.twitter.com/8vNnyHKca8

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 11, 2026

The outdoor amphitheatre under a landmark mass-timber roof can fit up to 10,000 spectators. Ahead of the fan festival, the fixed seating on the lower floor was removed to create the standing-room general admission area. The guaranteed seating areas in the venue require a premium ticket.

At the time of writing, the opening ceremony at Mexico City Stadium had concluded, and the opening match beginning at noon PDT had just begun. About a quarter of the fixed seating behind the standing area was occupied, with a steady flow of fans still streaming into the amphitheatre and many watching from other areas of the fairgrounds.

It should be emphasized that giant video screens are also found elsewhere at the fairgrounds outside of the amphitheatre, which is not the only location where matches can be watched.

The fan festival’s opening day provided the first glimpse of the scale of the 28-day event planned for Vancouver during the 39-day tournament. The transformed PNE fairgrounds feature large viewing screens, sponsor activations, food and beverage vendors, cultural programming, live entertainment, and gathering spaces — all designed to accommodate 25,000 attendees per day.

While Vancouver’s first FIFA World Cup match at BC Place Stadium will not take place until Saturday, June 13, Thursday’s early turnout at the festival highlighted the excitement already building up around the tournament, particularly among Metro Vancouver’s many communities with deep-rooted soccer traditions.

The energy inside the new PNE amphitheatre at Vancouver’s FIFA World Cup Fan Festival when Mexico scored their first goal. ⚽🇲🇽 #FIFAWorldCup #WeAreVancouver https://t.co/IRGgRyH2AQ pic.twitter.com/okbJT6bkY3

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 11, 2026

fifa world cup fan festival pne hastings park vancouver amphitheatre june 11 2026

Crowds at Vancouver’s FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE fairgrounds in Hastings Park watching the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as seen on June 11, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

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