New permanent VANCOUVER sign won't be ready in time for FIFA World Cup | Daily Hive

Temporary winter season VANCOUVER sign on Dec. 17, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

It will take a few months longer to realize the new permanent landmark VANCOUVER sign.

From the outset, the intention was to have this civic pride public art installation ready in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which now kicks off in about 20 days.

The finalized location for the giant three-dimensional letter sign is the entrance plaza into the Canada Place pier — the eastern end of the Canada Place Way promenade.

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However, the construction work has yet to begin, which first involves building a foundation and establishing utility connections — specifically electricity (for nighttime illumination) — before installing the fabricated giant letters. Construction was originally scheduled to take place this month.

Upon an inquiry by Daily Hive Urbanized, the City of Vancouver states the design process for the installation is currently underway. Construction work is now anticipated to take place in Fall 2026, well after the tournament and this year’s peak tourism period and cruise ship season.

With that said, the City adds, a new temporary VANCOUVER sign will be made available in time for the FIFA World Cup — one of the many temporary activations, decorations, and installations that are being rolled out across the city for the tournament.

It should be emphasized that this permanent VANCOUVER sign project is not part of the City’s FIFA World Cup plan.

vancouver sign permanent new location canada place east plaza

New updated location for the new permanent “VANCOUVER” sign, November 2025. (City of Vancouver)

November 2025-finalized location of the new permanent VANCOUVER sign at the East Plaza of Canada Place. (Kenneth Chan)

The municipal government began pursuing the installation of a new permanent VANCOUVER sign after the highly apparent immense success of previous temporary installations in the area — beginning with a winter season sign that first appeared in 2023 and a summer season sign by Cadillac Fairview for the Junction Public Market activation in the summers of 2024 and 2025 at Granville Square’s plaza.

However, due to extreme wear and tear and some vandalism over the previous two summer seasons, the pink styrofoam sign at Junction Public Market has not returned as a feature of the activation in Summer 2026. In June 2025, many Reddit commentators mistakenly believed this pink sign was the City’s significant investment in a permanent sign.

The forthcoming permanent installation is different from the temporary signs, as it is intended to be highly durable to inclement weather, vandalism, and other wear and tear. As well, it will have more thoughtful design considerations to reflect local culture and symbolism.

vancouver sign temporary junction public market august 2025

August 2025 deteriorated condition of Cadillac Fairview’s temporary summer season VANCOUVER sign at Junction Public Market at Granville Square. (Kenneth Chan)

While the City has yet to release any conceptual artistic renderings of the sign’s design, it is known that three local First Nations artists — each representing the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations — will be responsible for designing a wrap or graphics layover for the installation’s surface, with the municipal government conducting a callout for those artists this past winter. At around the same time, the City also launched a bidding process seeking fabrication and contracting services for the installation.

The selected First Nations artists are not known at this time, but they will each be paid $25,000 for their work. The City has selected Toronto-headquartered design agency Entro Communications to lead the design’s fabrication and construction, under a contract worth about $203,000.

The project’s cost is being covered by the municipal government (up to $300,000), local tourism authority Destination Vancouver ($200,000), and Vancouver Hotel Destination Association (VHDA). Downtown Van, the local business improvement association for Downtown Vancouver, is also providing support.

Giant three-dimensional destination name are highly popular worldwide, becoming some of the most photographed objects by visitors in some places.

Temporary winter season VANCOUVER sign on Jan. 6, 2024. (Kenneth Chan)

vancouver sign art gallery west georgia plaza december 2025

Temporary VANCOUVER sign on the West Georgia Street plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery, as seen on Dec. 5, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

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