VANCOUVER – Just days ahead of the first FIFA men’s World Cup matches ever played in Canada, officials at BC Place say the stadium is ready for kickoff, but fans filing in may notice the biggest difference outside.
The head of the venue for FIFA says despite the setup, which resembles security measures taken during the 2010 Winter Olympics in the city, officials expect to fill the stadium in under an hour.
“We’re encouraging people to get here early,” said Don Hardman, the FIFA26 Canada executive director of stadium and venue management. “We’re opening the gates three hours before kickoff.”
Many fans will arrive on foot after taking transit, with the streets around the stadium closed to traffic. Organizers are expecting 80 per cent of people entering the building will arrive from “The Last Mile” – the main pedestrian route to the entrance on the stadium’s east side, where the largest number of security screening resources will be clustered.
At field level, crews were spotted Monday working on the centrepiece of the nearly $200 million in upgrades to the 43-year-old venue. The multi-million-dollar grass pitch is being mowed regularly under UV grow lights with tightly controlled in-ground irrigation.
“Right now, the roof, we like to keep it open on non-match days. It helps the grass to get the most natural light and air circulation around the pitch,” Hardman said. “But likely on match days, it will be closed, just to create that consistent environment in particular for broadcast television.”
The grass, grown in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and installed by local companies, was allowed to take root in a surface approximately 35 centimetres deep. The pitch is a carefully engineered mix of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass.
The stadium’s upgrades extend beyond the field to include a new video board, upgraded locker rooms, hospitality areas and accessibility improvements.
During Monday’s tour, officials showed media the dressing room that will be used by Canada’s men’s national team for its first match in Vancouver on June 18.
The BC Place upgrades are part of a much larger taxpayer investment tied to the World Cup.
According to updated provincial estimates released last month, the gross cost of hosting seven World Cup matches in Vancouver is now projected to be between $685 million and $729 million, up from previous estimates released in 2025.
Months of preparation in Vancouver will be put to the test on Saturday, when more than 50,000 fans are expected to fill the seats in BC Place for the group stage match between Australia and Turkiye. The game is expected to draw a global television audience in the neighbourhood of 130 million viewers.
