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Canada’s host cities are set for a soccer-fuelled frenzy with fans due to arrive from around the globe
Published Apr 09, 2026 • 6 minute read
Toronto is setting up a FIFA Fan Festival zone in the urban settings of Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway, close to Toronto Stadium. Photo by DESTINATION TORONTOArticle content
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The countdown clock is ticking steadily to the launch of the biggest sporting event on the planet, FIFA World Cup 2026.
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When the whistle blows on June 11 to kick off the tournament’s opening match in the electric atmosphere of Mexico City, the largest World Cup competition ever organized will officially begin, to the joy of soccer fans everywhere, including here in Canada.
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For Mankiran Aujla, it’s been a long time coming. “I never thought it would happen in my city,” says the passionate fan and resident of Metro Vancouver. “We have a thriving soccer community here and I’m so excited to come together to experience this.”
Aujla is one of the lucky locals who managed to obtain tickets for several of the seven FIFA World Cup 2026 matches that will be played at BC Place Stadium during the tournament’s five-week duration between June 11 and July 19.
BC Place Stadium in Vancouver is the setting for seven FIFA World Cup 2026 matches between June 11 and July 19. Photo by Albert Normandin /DESTINATION VANCOUVER
Vancouver and Toronto are the two Canadian cities sharing hosting duties out of 16 total host cities spread across three countries, including metropolitan areas like Mexico City and Guadalajara in Mexico and Los Angeles and New York City in the United States.
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Since the tournament was announced four years ago, city officials, tourism agencies and hospitality planners in Toronto and Vancouver have been busy preparing. The FIFA World Cup 2026 may be a massive international event, but local planners are drawing on a deep well of experience in staging a memorable and fun-filled tournament for fans, tourists and residents alike.
Hotel demand
Like the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Taylor Swift’s successful concert series, demand has been high for accommodation during the FIFA World Cup 2026 period. The exceptional demand is magnified by the fact the tournament takes place during the peak summer travel season, and that’s reflected in the hotel rates.
According to recent data from Hotels.com, travellers can expect to see rates two to three times higher across hotel types for the Team Canada match in Toronto on June 12. Data also shows Canadian travellers are looking beyond Toronto, with searches up 20 per cent for nearby Hamilton.
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Jean-Philip Dupré, general manager of Le Germain Hotel Toronto, confirms that demand during the World Cup period has been extremely strong, but notes that, “availability can still fluctuate as reservations change.”
And they are are still changing. Late-booking soccer fans got some positive news last month when FIFA released approximately 15,000 previously held room nights back to general inventory at major downtown Vancouver hotels, alongside thousands more across Toronto and other host cities. Paul Hawes, president and CEO of the British Columbia Hotel Association, notes this type of room release is standard practice for large-scale events, and that “this trend is consistent with what is being seen in other host cities across North America.”
“We do not anticipate seeing any significant change in hotel rates, but the good news is, we are ready to welcome the world, and we have the hotel availability to do so,” adds Hawes.
Darren Simpson, general manager of The Burrard Hotel in downtown Vancouver, confirms that hotel rooms can still be found. “Availability remains at many Vancouver hotels for all dates through the June and July period, though rates are constantly fluctuating and will reflect demand.”
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Searches are up 165 per cent around the Vancouver June 18 match (Canada versus Qatar) and up 230 per cent around the June 24 match (Canada versus Switzerland).
Fan-forward celebrations 
Toronto will host Canada’s opening match on June 12. Above, Mayor Olivia Chow celebrates with soccer fans at the unveiling of the countdown clock at Nathan Phillips Square. Photo by DESTINATION TORONTO
Soccer is the name of the game for FIFA World Cup 2026. But the tournament presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Toronto and Vancouver to showcase their beauty, culture and attractions to residents, fans and the world, thanks to FIFA’s massive global television audience, estimated at more than 19 billion people.
Toronto’s World Cup theme is “The World in a City.” Its FIFA Fan Festival zone will take place in the vibrant urban setting of Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway, close to Toronto Stadium where the city’s six matches will take place. These festival sites will host thousands of fans who can watch the “beautiful game” on giant screens and enjoy the diverse culinary flavours, music and multicultural vibes.
For William Tang, a Toronto resident and enthusiastic Soccer Canada supporter, spending time at the FIFA Fan Festival is a “must-visit for anyone visiting during this time, even if you don’t have match tickets.”
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Toronto Stadium at Exhibition Place will host Canada’s opening match June 12. Photo by Destination Toronto
Festivities are not just for fans with coveted in-person access to the games. Local neighbourhoods, shops and restaurants will help create a celebratory atmosphere. In between game days, Tang recommends visitors enjoy a ferry ride over to the Toronto Islands and a trip up the CN Tower to check out its renovated lower observation deck and new glass floor – if you dare.
“The World Cup is a huge event, the likes we haven’t seen before,” says Tang, who’ll be at Toronto Stadium to cheer on the home team at its first game. “I look forward to seeing the city rally behind Team Canada!”
Vancouver’s matches will be held downtown at BC Place Stadium, where 350,000 fans are expected to attend the host city’s seven matches, including a Round of 16 game on July 7.
The city’s FIFA Fan Festival will take place on the historic grounds of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) at Hastings Park in east Vancouver. Fans can gather to watch games on the big screen in the new 10,000-person open-air amphitheatre, and enjoy daily celebrations of live music, diverse food options and accessible and free family-friendly entertainment.
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Other public venues underscore the city’s theme of Vancouver as a “Force of Nature.” They will serve as festive gathering places for fans, including along a fully pedestrianized Granville Street in the downtown peninsula and at popular tourism destination Granville Island in False Creek.
Shop for picnic supplies (a box of Lee’s Donuts honey-glazed is a must) at the Island’s Public Market and enjoy the large outdoor viewing zone screening 92 of 104 matches over the five weeks of the World Cup.
Getting around town 
Public transit like Toronto’s streetcars, shown here in Little Italy, is one of the best ways to get around town during the World Cup festivities. Photo by DESTINATION TORONTO
Lace up your comfiest pair of sneakers, because the best way to get around the busy downtown cores of Toronto and Vancouver during the World Cup is by public transit, cycling and walking.
On match days at both Toronto Stadium and BC Place, “The Last Mile” corridor will serve as the single access point and festive walking route for ticket holders before they arrive at security checkpoints and enter the stadiums.
Volunteers and wayfinding signage will help fans navigate their way to games and the FIFA Fan Festivals. Destination Toronto is locating its mobile INFOTOGO trailers at Nathan Phillips Square and near Toronto Stadium, offering personalized information for tourists and residents. There will also be a new water taxi service linking east/west waterfront access from Cherry Street to Bathurst Quay during the World Cup.
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TransLink, the public transit provider in Metro Vancouver is expanding transit services with increases to bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express service during the tournament, especially on match days. Spectators attending games will need to use the Expo Line’s Main Street-Science World Station and then walk the Last Mile route to the stadium.
Soccer cards as wallpaper in Vancouver’s Como Tapiera restaurant. Como Tapiera photo
Whether you’re a lifelong soccer fan who pinned a poster of the victorious 1982 Italian soccer team to your wall (guilty), a newbie who happens to find themselves in Como Tapiera’s soccer-themed washroom in Vancouver or have come from away to cheer with the crowds on Toronto’s Danforth, the FIFA World Cup 2026 promises to be an unforgettable celebration of Canadian pride and the beautiful game.
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