The field of dreams – and the story behind it
One of two Canadian venues co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, BC Place has assumed the role of national arena thanks to the events of June 18, when the home crowd surged behind slain midfielder Ismaël Koné after his horrific injury in Canada’s second group game against Qatar. Vancouver should be a fervent hotbed of soccer passion whenever les Rouges revisit.
It has long been staging soccer internationals. Located a few blocks from Downtown Vancouver, conveniently served by the Expo Line Sky Train, BC Place was originally conceived as an indoor venue where the opening of Expo 86 would take place.
Both the Vancouver Whitecaps and BC Lions played here from the first month of opening, June 1983, the NASL team until the league’s closure the following year, the Canadian football team until today.
With the 2010 Winter Olympics in mind, BC Place was converted into an outdoor stadium of 54,500 capacity, topped by a new retractable roof, the largest such cable-supported structure in the world. Canada’s national soccer teams have used Vancouver since the men’s game with the US in 1985. It was at BC Place that Tony Waiters’ Canadians warmed up for the upcoming 1986 World Cup finals with a friendly against Wales.
Following a $150 million overhaul, BC Place staged the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, its transformation convincing Vancouver’s reclusive owner Greg Kerfoot to elevate the club to MLS status.
The Whitecaps moved into BC Place the following year, taking over (and usually filling) its lower tier. Whitecaps supporters’ group, the Vancouver Southsiders, founded in 1999 to follow the Vancouver 86ers in the USL D2 Pro League from the south side of Swangard Stadium, simply relocated to sections 251-254 of BC Place.
Kerfoot continued to pour money into Canada’s women’s soccer team, who played Olympic qualifying playoffs at BC Place in January 2012 in front of 25,000 despite the freezing temperatures.
Spectators attended in greater numbers for the 2015 Women’s World Cup. When Canada faced England, the gate was just over 54,000 – the final, a USWNT triumph, attracted a full house. Soccer doesn’t hold a candle to Ed Sheeran, however, who drew 65,061 here in 2023.
A series of statues of heroic amputee runner Terry Fox greets visitors from the plaza named after him immediately in front of the stadium.
getting here
Going to the stadium – tips and timings
Vancouver International Airport is 7.5 miles (12km) southwest of Downtown Vancouver, on Sea Island. It has its own station, YVR Airport, at the terminus of the Canada Line, part of the SkyTrain network built for the 1986 Expo. This runs every 7mins to Yaletown-Roundhouse (nearest BC Place), Vancouver City Centre and adjacent Waterfront 20-25mins away in Fare Zone 1, through two Fare Zones (C$4.55 cash or contactless, C$3.75 with a reloadable Compass Card, C$6 refundable deposit). Journeys from YVR Airport incur an additional C$5 AddFare charge. Vancouver Taxi (+1 604-871-1111) should charge around C$40 from the airport to the city center.
A journey within Fare Zone 1 is C$3.15/C$2.55 with a Compass Card, an all-zone DayPass is C$11.25. Tickets and Compass Cards are available at vending machines at all SkyTrain stations. The SkyTrain consists of three lines – Stadium-Chinatown Station on the Expo Line is the nearest to the East side of BC Place. You can also access the stadium by Aquabus (C$7.75/Day Pass C$19) along Vancouver’s waterfront, alighting at Plaza of Nations.
Where to Drink
Pre-match beers for fans and casual visitors
By the statue of heroic marathon runner Terry Fox, the Boston Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar is one of several Vancouver branches of this national chain, initially conceived in Edmonton 60 years old. Here, near Gate A of BC Place, it’s perfectly located to serve beer and family-friendly fare to the pre-game crowds.
Just behind it, the District Bar Restaurant takes its inspiration from New York, with brunch, bar menu and daily specials, with similar focus on booze. You can also watch the match here, in casual surroundings.
Equally close to the stadium, tucked behind Beatty Street, Shark Club Sports Bar & Grill doesn’t skimp on screens, 72 filling this 400-seater space, plus two maxi-sized ones. Newcastle fans who have filled their own Shark Club before a match at St James’ Park might be interested to know that this is the original venue, opened below the Sandman Hotel in 1993, now back in the hands of the Gaglardi family.
