The FIFA World Cup is fast approaching, but there is a pronounced lack of hype in the city, coinciding with negative impacts on business and disruptions to the events scene in Vancouver.
Ticket, hotel, and other costs aren’t helping.
Underscoring that lack of hype are some softer numbers that Destination Vancouver has revealed relating to hotel demand next month compared to last year.
Destination Vancouver told Daily Hive Urbanized that hotel bookings in June are pacing 20 per cent slower than last year. On a more positive note, Destination Vancouver said that July, August and September bookings are “looking much stronger.”
The discourse around FIFA has also taken quite a turn, with some interesting comments from notable personalities in Vancouver making their voices heard this week.
It’s not that there’s no excitement for the event. Some folks, particularly local politicians who are promoting the event, especially Vancouver councillors, seem quite excited.
Vancouver is getting ready šā½ļø
Seeing City Hall wrapped in FIFA World Cup 2026 branding is an exciting reminder that the world will soon arrive in our city for seven matches and an incredible Fan Fest experience.
Proud that Vancouver will be part of this global celebration ofā¦ pic.twitter.com/xlAM1uWPw5
ā Mike Klassen éŗ„åäæ” šØš¦ (@MikeKlassen) May 19, 2026
Sky-high ticket and merchandise costs
Single-game BC Place ticket prices are very high.
Offside did some analysis on ticket prices last week, and the cheapest tickets were listed at $530, with some tickets costing thousands of dollars. Offside also analyzed merchandise costs (and designs) that had some soccer fans angry.
The cost for some pieces of merchandise, like a basic t-shirt jersey, is over $500, which drew the ire of some residents.
claude code let me preview the limited edition vancouver fifa jersey early
$515 for this in this economy btw pic.twitter.com/MF77JyJS69
ā toki (@tokifyi) May 16, 2026
Soaring hotel prices
Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive | Review News/Shutterstock | Expedia.ca
Earlier this year, Daily Hive Urbanized took a look at how hotel prices were spiking during the FIFA World Cup compared to how much they were prior to the event.
One hotel listed for over $400 per night in April was listed for over $1,700 per night in July.
The Pan Pacific Vancouver was another hotel that saw rates double in July compared to April.
According to Expedia, as of today, you can’t find a name-brand hotel during the peak period in July for under $500.
Event, business and community impacts
James Clarke skateboarding. (Jarrod Au/VSBC)
Some events have either had to cancel entirely or change the way they operate due to FIFA’s rules. For example, the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival was originally cancelled due to FIFA, but a downsized version was announced for this summer.
More recently, the BC Sports Hall of Fame was told it had to pack up and leave its usual home at BC Place. The museum’s curator and director, Jason Beck, didn’t mince words about the decision, calling it “an absolute joke.”
Other events that have been impacted in some capacity include the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and Italian Day.
Vancouver skateboarders also represent a local community that FIFA will significantly impact. In March, we reported that Hastings Skate Park was being forced to close due to the soccer tournament. Thankfully, some community advocacy allowed them to gain some compensation for the loss, but the park will remain closed due to FIFA during a very important training period for skaters.
While not quite an event or a business, courts in B.C. will also be operating in a limited capacity during FIFA.
There are also some concerns about the unhoused population during the event.
It’s, of course, not all bad for business, and some businesses are hopeful that the event will provide a much-needed revenue boost.
VistaPrint, a print and design company, recently published findings from a survey of 334 small businesses in Vancouver and Toronto, finding that 64 per cent think that the World Cup will create a positive impact.
āWith over a million people projected to visit Canada for the FIFA World Cup, businesses have a real opportunity to reach new audiences,ā said Erin Shea, the senior director of North America Marketing at VistaPrint, in a release.
According to a report from Downtown Van, the business improvement association for downtown Vancouver, FIFA is projected to bring in $1.0 billion in additional spending to B.C. from 2026 to 2031.
What people are saying
All of these various factors have led to quite the mix of sentiments regarding the tournament in Vancouver, and there seems to be a pronounced lack of hype and a lot of negative attitudes toward the tournament, eclipsing any excitement some may have.
Local sports legend Don Taylor brought some attention to the negativity and what he refers to as indifference.
From Expo 86 to the 2010 Olympics, I canāt remember an event coming to Vancouver more surrounded by negativity and indifference than the World Cup.
ā Don Taylor (@DonTaylor5) May 18, 2026
In response to Taylor’s post, someone claimed that their employment was being shut down for the month of June because of FIFA, and that the World Cup could “piss off.”
Others wondered what lasting benefits Vancouver would be left with after the event ends.
Expo transformed False Creek.
The Olympics gave us the Canada Line, Sea-to-Sky Highway upgrades, and lasting venues.
What permanent infrastructure is FIFA leaving behind?
ā VancityEl (@vancity_el) May 18, 2026
Ticket costs are still another notable point of discussion.
the gold cup game for hockey level A tickets were a maximum of 600 dollars each. FIFA has broken the back of every fan by gouging for tickets and manipulating ticket levels. Ultimately its whether a process is fair or unfair and these FIFA games are unfair to the fans
ā Options Caller (@optionscaller) May 19, 2026
Some residents say they’re going to Vancouver Island to escape the event while it’s here. Others have labelled it a corporate schmoozing event.
In the Vancouver subreddit, one of the most popular phrases in response to FIFA topics seems to be “f**k FIFA.” People are also reacting with their concerns to posts from the official FIFA Vancouver World Cup account.
We likely won’t know the full impact of the cost and benefit of FIFA till well after the event is over.
Where do you stand on the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver? Are you hyped? Are you actively avoiding it by escaping to Vancouver Island like some residents are?
Let us know in the comments.
With files from Hanna Hett and Kenneth Chan