![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Fan-Fest-FIFA-Vancouver-Granville-Street.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nWith the World Cup ending, but the Granville Pedestrian Zone continuing, what can locals expect?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll see more street traffic here, it\u2019s just a more friendly place to gather,\u201d said Dave Kershaw, owner, Cabana Nightclub.<\/p>\n
As memories of daily FIFA festivities fade into a blur of smoke bombs and chants in foreign languages \u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
What remains are questions about what the future of the Granville Pedestrian Zone will look like.<\/p>\n
While the five-block pedestrian zone\u2019s last day was originally slated to be Sunday, nearly $5 million in funding from the city now means that vehicle traffic won\u2019t be coming back to this stretch of Granville Street until September.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But even without the world watching businesses are hopeful the positive energy that made this one of Vancouver\u2019s biggest World Cup wins is here to stay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a huge lift; I think we were up 250 per cent from the previous June. It\u2019s the best month we\u2019ve ever had financially in 13 years of being here, so it was a massive success. Massive,\u201d said Kershaw.<\/p>\n
Dave Kershaw owns a Cabana Nightclub on the strip. He says the renewed focus on policing and cleanliness is what\u2019s made the area a viable tourist destination, something that funding is meant to prolong.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrior to the World Cup, I mean, there was a lot of street disorder, open drug use is a main concern, it really gives people the wrong impression of what an entertainment zone should look like, but really, with the pedestrian zone closed and the celebrations going on, the amount of people coming down to enjoy Granville for what it\u2019s meant to be, a place to gather, has been night and day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully that continues when the World Cup is over fully, and the zone can remain normal and safe,\u201d said Ronan O\u2019Hagan, bar manager for Dublin Calling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
O\u2019Hagan says even as the tournament winds down, he\u2019s still seeing more business than he did last summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cNon-game days, people are just out and about, want to sit out, have a drink, have some food.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know World Cup added to a lot of the buzz, but I still think if you did this every summer, it would be great.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Up to $1.2 million in municipal money has been earmarked for the local business improvement association to keep the good times rolling.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not cheap to pedestrianize a street.\u201d FLASH \u201cWe will have live music, we will have buskers, we will have live performances,\u201d said Jane Talbot with Downtown Vancouver BIA.<\/p>\n
Talbot also says that there will be more initiatives to support different kinds of businesses, like retailers and by prioritizing safety and cleanliness, she anticipates being able to convince people to come out all summer long.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally, our intention is to make sure that people come down, enjoy the street, always have something to see, always have something to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while nobody is expecting to replicate World Cup crowds, local businesses do hope the extension can help them round out their rainy day funds.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tThe FIFA Fan Fest Pedestrian Zone on Granville Street is seen on June 12, 2026. (CityNews Image) <\/p>\n
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