Giant roof of the new PNE amphitheatre begins to take shape | Daily Hive

Construction progress on Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre, as of June 1, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

The construction of the new PNE Amphitheatre has reached a key and highly visible stage, with the large roof structure now beginning to take shape.

The emerging form of the soaring roof is already creating a striking presence over the site, offering a glimpse of the architectural and engineering feat taking shape. The rising structure will be a remarkable sight for Hastings Park’s visitors for Playland and the PNE Fair this summer, as the intricate structure begins to define the future landmark venue.

Work on the PNE fairground’s first major permanent entertainment venue in nearly six decades has now advanced to the installation of the structure’s first mass-timber beams. In late May 2025, construction crews completed the installation of three structural steel arches that will support the mass-timber arch elements of the covered outdoor amphitheatre.

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The amphitheatre is scheduled to reach completion in less than a year from now, just in time for its first and very high-profile use as part of the PNE’s hosting of Vancouver’s official FIFA World Cup Fan Festival, which will open at the fairgrounds on June 11 and close on July 19. After the World Cup, the venue will be formally named the Freedom Mobile Arch, in recognition of the telecommunications company’s 10-year naming rights sponsorship deal starting in Summer 2026.

“We are seeing great progress on the new Freedom Mobile Arch and we can really feel how the excitement is building within industry and across our city and beyond for the completion of this amazing venue,” Shelley Frost, the President and CEO of the PNE, told Daily Hive Urbanized this week.

“When it opens in summer, 2026 the Freedom Mobile Arch will undoubtably be one of the best performance venues of its kind in all of North America. The PNE team, working with the City of Vancouver on delivering this venue, are so proud and we look forward to supporting and showcasing all genres of music, arts and the creative sector!”

pne amphitheatre freedom mobile construction june 1 2025

Construction progress on Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre, as of June 1, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

Earlier this spring, the three massive concrete foundational buttresses that structurally support the amphitheatre’s roof were completed to enable the current phase of work, now rising high above the fairgrounds at Hastings Park. Approximately a dozen masts — temporary support structures — have also been installed to aid in the installation of the steel arches and mass timber components.

In addition to the now-completed steel arches, there will be 60 mass-timber arches arranged in six barrel vaulted segments, reaching a height of up to 82 ft (25 metres) and spanning 344 ft (105 metres) between buttress tips.

The mass-timber roof design incorporates both glulam, which offers superior strength, and a cross-laminated timber deck made of three-ply Douglas Fir, which provides a structural diaphragm for stability.

Altogether, it forms a starburst-shaped roof. After installation, the temporary masts will be removed to reveal a rigid, self-supporting roof that is also held together by compression.

This will be the largest freestanding mass-timber structures of its kind in the world. The project’s design firms are Revery Architecture, Fast + Epp Structural Engineers, and PFS Studio, and the general contractor is EllisDon.

Construction progress on Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre, as of June 1, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

The venue’s mass-timber design is inherently low-carbon, but when complete, it will also serve as an integrated rainwater collection system.

The structure is designed to capture and filter the first 48 mm of rainfall within any 24-hour period. Rainwater from the roof, surrounding paved areas, and plaza will be channelled into an underground collection chamber near the northwest buttress, where the water will be gradually released into the water table over time.

Following the demolition of the site’s previous 1960s-built, dilapidated temporary amphitheatre, major construction on the new venue began in May 2024 with ground preparation, excavation, and foundational work.

Work on the roof structure is expected to continue throughout the summer and into the fall; before the end of 2025, the roof structure will be complete. The roof’s extensive use of pre-fabricated, mass-timber materials also speeds up the construction process, compared to a traditional conventional rigid roof design.

The construction of the seating floor, washrooms, and concession facilities are scheduled for this coming fall and winter. VIP suites and interior fit-out will follow in Spring 2026, with commissioning set for Spring 2026 — just in time for the World Cup.

Concept of Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)

Rainwater collection and retention system; concept of Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)

The new amphitheatre will be a true world-class concert and performance venue, enhancing not only the programming of the annual PNE Fair but also attracting a wide range of major events throughout the year. With a roof that provides weather protection to extend seasonal usability and permanent, purpose-built facilities, the venue is designed to host performances year-round.

Positioned next to the northwest buttress, a permanent three-storey back-of-house building made of concrete and steel will house a large built-in stage, audio/visual equipment, and giant video screens. The facility will also include fully enclosed, indoor front-of-house spaces and amenities for performers and crew — such as green rooms, a kitchen, washrooms, storage, and additional support areas — all of which will simplify production load-in and set-up. These built-in features are expected to significantly reduce the cost and time required to stage concerts and other events.

Beyond its technical capabilities, the venue itself is designed as a landmark space, with the stage positioned to frame performances against a dramatic backdrop of the North Shore mountains.

The venue will have a capacity of up to 10,000 spectators. This includes 6,000 covered seats located directly beneath the roof, providing protection from the elements. The tier of seating closest to the stage will be removable to create space for a standing area or dance floor, while the mid-tier will feature fixed seating. The upper tier will be an uncovered grassy lawn, offering an informal viewing area that can accommodate an additional 4,000 spectators.

Stage and front-of-house building; concept of Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)

Concept of Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)

In addition to the general spectator areas, the venue will also feature four large VIP viewing pods — two positioned at the base of the northeast and south concrete buttresses — and six VIP suites located at the rear of the venue, just behind the grassy lawn and below a concrete acoustic wall. Some of the high-speed tracks of Playland’s 2024-built ThunderVolt launch coaster run directly behind this wall, which appears to serve a dual purpose of shielding the amphitheatre from the coaster’s noise and sightlines, while also containing the amphitheatre’s sound within the venue.

The use of mass-timber materials for the expansive roof also serves to enhance the acoustic performance of the venue.

In fact, the roof’s shape and materials are designed to reflect sound back to the spectators, which will lower speaker sound requirements, enable distributed sound reinforcement to be suspended directly over the spectator area, and reduce overall sound loudness for a more comfortable and enjoyable spectator experience.

The shape of the roof creates an effective line-of-sight barrier between the sound sources and the surrounding area, serving to limit the spread of sound outside the amphitheatre and reducing disruptions to the neighbourhood.

Concession pavilion; concept of Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)

VIP pod; concept of Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)

VIP suite; concept of Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)

VIP suite corridor; concept of Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)

Concept of Freedom Mobile Arch, the new PNE amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture)

The amphitheatre will have three large food and beverage concession pavilion pods situated on the west and north sides of the venue. Each pod has a green roof.

There will be multiple entry points into the venue from all sides, but the primary entrance will be from a new plaza area at the southeast corner — next to Hastings Park’s “Parade” pedestrian thoroughfare.

The amphitheatre carries a total budget of up to $137.5 million, including a contingency fund of up to $30 million to cover any market inflation in the prices for construction materials, labour, and equipment, and to account for any extra costs needed to expedite work to ensure the venue is ready in time for the World Cup.

Although the project has a firm completion deadline ahead of the World Cup, it is not being built specifically for the tournament.

The new amphitheatre was first envisioned as part of the City of Vancouver’s long-term Hastings Park/PNE Master Plan, approved in 2010, with serious planning efforts for the venue beginning well before the pandemic — as a measure to help revive the PNE and provide a new long-term revenue source. The decision to move forward with the project was made prior to Vancouver being selected as a World Cup host city, with 2026 having always been the target completion date for the project.