Vancouver's role as a FIFA World Cup host city delivering big numbers | Daily Hive

Victory celebrations on Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver on June 28, 2026, after Canada's historic FIFA World Cup round of 32 match win against South Africa. (Kenneth Chan)

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now past its halfway point, the tournament is clearly bringing major crowds, record viewership, and increased business activity to Metro Vancouver.

The Government of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver assert the first half of the 39-day tournament across North America has delivered immediate benefits for businesses, tourism, public transit, and community events across the province, while Canada’s men’s national soccer team has helped drive even greater interest after advancing to the knockout stage.

Canada defeated South Africa 1-0 in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28, securing the country’s first-ever knockout stage win at the FIFA World Cup.

“Seeing everyone in Vancouver and British Columbia come together to cheer for Canada has been nothing short of inspiring,” said Anne Kang, B.C. Minister of Tourism, Arts Culture and Sport, in a statement today.

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So far, Vancouver has hosted five group stage matches at BC Place Stadium. According to FIFA, each game has been a “Full House” sellout of 52,497 people, and the vast majority of the seats have been filled for each match so far. That means over a quarter million spectators have now attended Vancouver-hosted matches.

The tournament has also drawn massive national attention on television. Canada’s 6-0 win over Qatar at BC Place Stadium was watched by 11.7 million unique viewers across the channels and platforms of Canadian broadcast rights holder Bell Media — including CTV, TSN, and Crave — making it the most-watched FIFA World Cup group stage match ever in Canada.

Beyond the stadium, the free official FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver at the PNE fairgrounds in Hastings Park has attracted more than 334,000 people for live match broadcasts and other festivities and programming between June 11 and June 28. The largest crowds came during Canada’s matches, including the June 18 game against Qatar, the June 24 game against Switzerland, and the June 28 knockout match against South Africa.

Fans have also filled the streets before and after matches, with tens of thousands of people taking part in team marches and celebrations across Downtown Vancouver peninsula, particularly along the Granville Street Pedestrian Zone and the Last Mile route to BC Place Stadium.

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Inside the amphitheatre during Canada vs. South Africa round of 32 match at the FIFA World Cup Fan Festival Vancouver on June 28, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

granville street vancouver fifa world cup canada june 28 2026

Victory celebrations on Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver on June 28, 2026, after Canada’s historic FIFA World Cup round of 32 match win against South Africa. (Kenneth Chan)

science world fifa world cup vancouver adidas trionda soccer ball canada march june 18 2026

Canadian fans march to BC Place Stadium, with the route backdropped by Science World’s transformation into the adidas Trionda match soccer ball of the FIFA World Cup, as seen on June 18, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

“Vancouver has embraced the FIFA World Cup with incredible energy, pride and hospitality,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.

“From the electric atmosphere along the Last Mile to the thousands of people gathering at the FIFA Fan Festival, fans have come together at events, watch parties and community celebrations across the city, turning Vancouver into a vibrant celebration of the world’s game.”

Businesses at fan zones seeing incredible sales

Local businesses are seeing a direct impact from the surge in activity.

Downtown Van, the local business improvement association for Downtown Vancouver and the organization that spearheaded the Granville Street Pedestrian Zone, asserts that restaurants and bars are exceeding sales expectations, while retailers are reporting increased foot traffic.

“The Granville Street Pedestrian Zone has revitalized our entertainment district, driving record sales for many local businesses and creating an energy that Vancouver hasn’t experienced since the 2010 Winter Olympics,” said Jane Talbot, the president and CEO of Downtown Van.

“It has brought people of all ages and cultures together in celebration, demonstrating the incredible potential of a more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly Granville Street. The success of this temporary project offers an exciting vision for the future of Granville.”

Some restaurants and bars have reported double digit percentage sales increases on match days.

The BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association says food purchasing by businesses across the province is up by a conservative five per cent to 10 per cent, while restaurants at or near major fan zones are seeing increases of up to 40 per cent.

“My staff set high goals for their weekly sales targets, and we’ve been exceeding them by more than 50 per cent since the start of the tournament,” said William Donnellan, owner of Donnellan’s Irish Pub on Granville Street.

“I’ve heard from my fellow business owners in the area that there has been a huge amount of positive feedback from fans, patrons and employees. Even my family back in Ireland say that they’re seeing positive coverage of Vancouver and B.C. that is enhancing our international profile.”

Nate Sabine, director of business development for Good Co. Granville, added, “The positive impact of pedestrianizing Granville during the FIFA World Cup simply cannot be overstated. Fans of every age, nationality and background have come together to celebrate, with people literally brought to tears as their teams advance. Our staff have earned more than they ever have before and our relationships with Downtown Van, the City, and the Province have never been stronger.”

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5 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Downtown Vancouver’s Granville Street Pedestrian Zone for the FIFA World Cup. (Kenneth Chan)

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1 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, 2026 at Downtown Vancouver’s Granville Street Pedestrian Zone for the FIFA World Cup. (Kenneth Chan)

Some businesses are reporting sales above what they usually see during major annual events such as St. Patrick’s Day and the Super Bowl. Sports apparel stores are selling out of Canada jerseys, nightclubs are seeing record sales, and tattoo parlours are seeing more customers asking for Maple Leaf-themed tattoos.

However, as previously reported by Daily Hive, some businesses and arts venues that are not located near official FIFA World Cup venues and hotspots or are impacted by the tournament’s temporary road access changes say they are not seeing the benefits — that the benefits are unevenly distributed. In some cases, they are even seeing a drop in business — as residents and visitors flock to and gravitate around the tournament’s once-in-a-generation local experiences, such as Granville Street Pedestrian Zone, FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE, Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards on the Lonsdale waterfront, other major live match viewing events elsewhere in Metro Vancouver, and restaurants and bars with televisions showing the matches.

Strongest public ridership since early 2020

Travel and public transit numbers have also been elevated. Vancouver International Airport has indicated that nearly 1.8 million passengers have already moved through the airport during the tournament period so far, with more than 85,000 passengers per day on average.

TransLink recorded Metro Vancouver’s highest system-wide ridership in over six years on June 24, when 1.4 million boardings were recorded on the day of Canada’s match against Switzerland.

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Canadian fans marching next to SkyTrain’s Main Street-Science World Station, walking along Quebec Street to BC Place Stadium on June 18, 2026, for the FIFA World Cup match between Canada and Qatar. (Kenneth Chan)

skytrain main street science world station fifa world cup vancouver canada june 18 2026

Canadian fans marching next to SkyTrain’s Main Street-Science World Station, walking along Quebec Street to BC Place Stadium on June 18, 2026 for the FIFA World Cup match between Canada and Qatar. (TransLink)

There is also an economic development push underway through B.C. Business House, which is showcasing seven key provincial industries to international delegations during the tournament. The initiative held at Vancouver Convention Centre has welcomed nearly 900 attendees so far, including representatives from Albania, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Italy, Mexico, Romania, South Korea, Sweden, Singapore, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

The provincial government expects the FIFA World Cup to continue generating benefits long after the tournament ends on July 19. Over the five years following the event, B.C. is projected to see an additional one million out-of-province visitors and more than $1 billion in added visitor spending.

Vancouver still has two more FIFA World Cup matches to host at BC Place Stadium — the round of 32 match between Switzerland and Algeria on Thursday, July 2, and the round of 16 match on Tuesday, July 7.

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