The spectator route opens up four hours before kick off on each of Vancouver’s seven match days, with much of the area open to people with or without tickets.
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A beer garden, live musical performances, a miniature soccer pitch, and more await soccer fans on the spectator route mapped out for this summer’s World Cup in Vancouver.
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Media were invited Monday afternoon to Concord Pacific’s property in northeast False Creek for a preview of what soccer fans can expect on match days. On the day of each of the seven matches hosted in Vancouver, the roughly kilometre-long route between Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station and B.C. Place will be closed to cars along Quebec Street and Pacific Boulevard to make for a pedestrianized path, with attractions on the Concord property which is slated for future development.
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The route opens four hours before kickoff, with much of the area open to people with or without match tickets. As fans get closer to Carrall Street to the east of B.C. Place, there will be an access point beyond which only ticket-holders can advance.
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Jessie Adcock, Vancouver Host Committee lead, told the news conference, “This isn’t just waiting in line to get to the stadium. It’s an end-to-end experience.”
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After each game starts, the beer garden and other activations along the spectator route will close.
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Concord Pacific will also host viewing parties at the company’s presentation centre at 88 Pacific Blvd. during the games in Vancouver.
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The area near Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station is intended to be the primary arrival and departure location for almost everyone on game days, whether they are arriving by transit, taxi, ride-share, bike, or on foot. There will be considerations for fans with disabilities, with designated pickup and drop-off areas closer to the stadium, but accessing B.C. Place from the Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain station on match days will be difficult.
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Vancouver is one of 16 host cities, spread across Canada, Mexico and the United States, for the international men’s soccer tournament.
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Over the weekend, Vancouver placed first in a Sports Illustrated ranking of all 16 World Cup cities based on factors including the venue, match schedule, location, climate, transit, tourist activities, walkability, and fan experiences. Seattle was ranked second, and Toronto, the only other Canadian host city, came in third.
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