Surrey Soccer Fan Zones at 3 sites during World Cup tournament
Published 2:40 pm Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Surrey will activate free-admission Soccer Fan Zones at three sites — possibly more — during the massive FIFA World Cup men’s tournament this spring and summer.
From June 11 to July 19, public viewing areas will be set up with big screens for games, live entertainment, food, beer gardens, games and other soccer-focused attractions.
Surrey Civic Plaza will be the city’s main Soccer Fan Zone for close to three dozen “activation days,” with big screens also set up inside Cloverdale Agriplex starting July 1 and outdoors at South Surrey Athletic Park for four days near the end of the World Cup tournament.
The sites offer a chance to “watch the world’s biggest sporting event in Surrey” and highlight the city as “a premier entertainment and tourist destination,” says the website surreysoccerfanzones.ca.
The official Surrey Soccer Fan Zones launch is planned June 12 at Civic Plaza when Team Canada plays its first match during the 2026 World Cup.
Surrey has budgeted close to $2 million to stage the Fan Zones, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said Tuesday, March 3 at City Hall.
“As we know, there’s going to be very few of us who’ll be able to get a ticket (to a World Cup game), so these Fan Zones will be packed,” Locke promised. “There will be many, many people.”
The city had planned two Fan Zones and added a third in South Surrey. All sites will be activated simultaneously on July days/nights, and additional locations may be announced before the start of the 48-team tournament.
Locke called the Fan Zones “free, safe and welcoming spaces where families can come together to enjoy” the FIFA action. “By providing these accessible, no-cost events, we’re helping families enjoy the games, cheer on their favourite teams, and make summer memories together.”
The goal in Surrey is to “build excitement before, during and after matches,” 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on activation days, according to event details found in Request for Proposals for Audio/Video Staging documents on the city’s website, surrey.ca. Bids are due by 3 p.m. March 4.
Other World Cup watch-party sites will set up elsewhere in Metro Vancouver, including the PNE’s new amphtitheatre.
“I think of the World Cup as a celebration of the fans from all over the world,” former soccer pro Carl Valentine said Tuesday at Surrey City Hall. “They come to celebrate the game, the biggest event in the world, and they’re coming to our city to celebrate with us. These fan zones, they’re going to be epic. … Do what you can to get out, embrace it. It’s going to be safe, it’s going to be wonderful to be around.”
The 2026 FIFA tournament will see 104 matches played in 16 cities in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, including seven matches in Vancouver. Qatar will play Canada in BC Place Stadium on June 18, and Switzerland takes on the home squad six days later, among other matches there.
Meantime, the City of Surrey has submitted an official response to Canada Soccer’s request to explore potential locations for a national training centre, described as a “cornerstone legacy project” of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Four sites in Surrey are pitched as possible locations for the training centre, which would support national teams, athlete development, coach and referee education, sports science and community programming.
“Surrey is a natural fit for this kind of world-class facility,” Locke said in a news release. “We have one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations in the country, strong soccer programs, transportation links and a commitment to sport development. We look forward to sharing these strengths with Canada Soccer to show what our city can offer.”