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Here’s how the downtown Vancouver stadium will look and smell a little different for the seven FIFA World Cup games to be held at B.C. Place.
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Published Jun 08, 2026 • 4 minute read
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VANCOUVER, B.C., June 8, 2026 — Scenes from a media tour of BC Place as the venue is set to host seven 2026 World Cup matches in Vancouver B.C., June 8, 2026. (NICK PROCAYLO/PNG) 10111814A [PNG Merlin Archive] Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /10111814AArticle content
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The first thing you notice when you walk into B.C. Place for the World Cup is the smell.
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That terrible, musty mix of cat urine and mould, undoubtedly from air disturbed after decades by work over the past year underneath the stadium to get ready for the big FIFA show that is finally here — That smell? It’s finally gone.
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B.C. Place finally smells nice again.
It’s one of a few subtle differences you may note over the next month if you find yourself attending one of the seven matches Vancouver is hosting.
Don Hardman, FIFA’s executive-director of stadium and venue management, said he felt the upgrades and fresh coats of paint made the stadium feel like a new house. Hardman led a tour of the stadium Monday, where workers were trimming grass on the pitch, finishing countertops and making final adjustment to new seating areas.
“It was a very nice stadium to begin with, but we’ve made some nice legacy tweaks,” Hardman said.
After a fresh series of renovations that will have cost as much as $185 million in total (the province lumped the costs of renovations together with unstated “operational” costs during the renovation period), here’s a quick look at what’s changed.
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Signage
If you haven’t yet spotted the B.C. Place Vancouver signage inside SkyTrain stations, that is just the beginning of a whole new signage system that is all over the stadium.
None of the information is at all new, but it all has a fresh look, with gold letters on a maroon background. The new signs are for everything from wayfinding outside and inside the stadium, to the actual section numbers in the stadium bowl itself.
VIP areas
Two new VIP hospitality areas have been constructed, one in the eastern corner that reveals a view of False Creek, and another at centre field on the “western” side of the stadium that backs on to Robson Street.
The corner area is for regular VIPs, who have paid for that tier of experience. It features seating in the stands and a large dedicated lounge area in the back with a viewing area. This lounge has been operational for a few months and has hosted several events, and also been open during Whitecaps games.
The central hospitality area is for the “VVIP” category, which is for the likes of heads of state, FIFA officials and A-list celebrities. It is the former main press box, but now features fancy seating and a dining area, plus has direct entry off Robson. Yes, there is in fact access to the stadium from its usual downtown-side entry, but it is only for people using this hospitality area. Most fans must make use of the “last mile” entry from near Science World.
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The new suites are one of the legacy items that Hardman identified.
The grass
As has been well-discussed by now, FIFA has installed a natural grass surface for the seven matches at B.C. Place. After that, the pitch will be pulled up and a new artificial surface will be laid down.
The temporary pitch has been laid above the concrete floor and has a gentle slope up at each end of the pitch, but side access requires the use of a step. Players will come onto the field through the same tunnel that rugby sevens teams have used in the past, but will make a notable step up to enter the field of play.
The roof
FIFA’s plan is to have the roof closed for all matches, to maintain consistency is the claim.
The three daytime matches — Canada’s two matches, plus the round of 16 match in July — would all have terrible shadows on the field, making the TV picture terrible. So those games will absolutely have the roof closed.
But the other four evening matches are surely good candidates for having the roof open. Take this Saturday’s Turkiye vs. Australia match — it’s predicted to be a high of 27 degrees during the day, which will make for a steamy atmosphere inside the stadium if the roof was closed, even if kickoff isn’t until 9 p.m.
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Hardman wasn’t unequivocal when asked about whether the roof might open.
“Right now, it’s very likely staying closed,” he said.
So assume it will be a warm day or night out.
The food
Finally, if you’re used to eating at the stadium, you can continue to do so — but it won’t be any cheaper.
About three-quarters of the food options will remain the same as you would find for a Whitecaps or B.C. Lions game, but there will be a number of options that come out of FIFA’s tournament-wide sponsorships.
And, of course, all the non-alcoholic drinks will be Coca-Cola products.
Read More
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