How to reach BC Place Stadium's entrance for FIFA World Cup Vancouver matches

Source Summary

Over 350,000 spectators are expected to cumulatively attend the seven FIFA World Cup matches at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, beginning with the first match on Saturday, June 13. Unlike many other match venues across the 16 host cities, getting to Vancouver’s stadium is relatively convenient, as it is located in the city centre, within a highly walkable area, and well served by public transit. But needless to say, spectators and others looking to take in the lively atmosphere in Downtown Vancouver are urged to plan ahead, arrive early, avoid peak travel times, and use public transit, with spectators required to use a different SkyTrain station than the venue’s namesake station. Expect major traffic congestion; driving or using taxi and ride-hailing services is certainly not encouraged. You might also like: - These items are banned from BC Place during FIFA World Cup in Vancouver - Two-month-long FIFA World Cup closure of Pacific Boulevard next to BC Place Stadium, and other match day road closures - The best way to get to FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver: TransLink's new very frequent, non-stop express bus connects SkyTrain to PNE - Packed patios and crowds fill Vancouver's FIFA World Cup pedestrian zone on Granville Street - Five blocks, five weeks: Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver is now a vibrant FIFA World Cup pedestrian zone - FIFA World Cup screens installed to hide eyesore at Vancouver's perfect viewpoint of Science World soccer ball On match days, there will be extensive expanded road closures to vehicles on the Downtown Vancouver peninsula, extending across greater areas within a several-block radius of the stadium. Spectators are strongly encouraged to use public transit to reach the Downtown Vancouver venue, with TransLink running peak-hour frequencies — with trains arriving about every 2.5 to three minutes — on all SkyTrain lines in the hours leading up to and after each match. Bus and SeaBus ferry frequencies will also be increased. For the three evening matches (June 13 and 26 and July 2), SkyTrain and SeaBus services will run one hour later than usual, past 2 am. Due to the extensive security fencing perimeter, there are some key changes to stadium access. Stadium-Chinatown Station will not serve as the normal ingress and egress station for the venue for passengers arriving on the Expo Line. The Expo Boulevard south entrance for the station is closed on match days, requiring passengers to enter and exit through the north entrances. All ticket holders are being asked to use the Expo Line’s Main Street-Science World Station, one stop east of Stadium-Chinatown Station. From this station — visually impossible to miss for those visiting from out of town, as it is next to the giant soccer ball transformation of Science World’s geodesic dome — ticket holders will begin their walk along vehicle-free segments of Quebec Street and Pacific Boulevard, from Terminal Avenue outside the station to the stadium’s security screening checkpoint at Carrall Street. This is called the “Last Mile” Match Day Spectator Route. Typical access points from Expo Boulevard, Beatty Street, and Griffths Way are blocked off during the tournament. Spectators must arrive from the east at Science World. Extensive temporary wayfinding and directional signage has been installed on streets in and around the Downtown Vancouver peninsula and at several strategic SkyTrain stations to help guide spectators to Main Street-Science World Station on match days. There will be some required walking — about 750 metres — to reach BC Place Stadium’s security screening tents at the parking lots east of Rogers Arena. But for people with disabilities, a limited complimentary golf cart service will be available along the match day spectator route, with designated tents for the service located outside Stadium-Chinatown Station and at the intersection of Keefer and Carrall streets. Near Main Street-Science World Station, there will also be a mobility hub for Mobi bike share, Lime e-scooter share, and a pick-up and drop-off area for taxis and ride-hailing services. This walking route to the stadium entrance is intended for ticket holders — not the general public. The route includes a match day fan zone just off Quebec Street north of Terminal Avenue, featuring live music performers, DJs, beer gardens, an official FIFA merchandise store, and other activations and programming. For those walking from the Downtown Vancouver peninsula, there is also a secondary, longer vehicle-free route along a closed segment of Keefer Street from Stadium-Chinatown Station and International Village to Quebec Street, where it joins the main “Last Mile” route on Pacific Boulevard. The spectator route opens four hours before match time. Stadium gates for ticket holders open three hours before kickoff. A day before the tournament’s kickoff, FIFA confirmed BC Place Stadium’s tournament-mode spectator capacity will be 52,497 for each match. This is the stadium’s match schedule: - 9 p.m. Saturday, June 13: Australia vs. Turkey - 3 p.m. Thursday, June 18: Canada vs. Qatar - 6 p.m. Sunday, June 21: New Zealand vs. Egypt - 12 p.m. Wednesday, June 24: Canada vs. Switzerland - 8 p.m. Friday, June 26: New Zealand vs. Belgium - 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2: Knockout match — round of 32 - 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 7: Knockout match — round of 16 Spectators are also urged to take note of the list of banned items for entering BC Place Stadium during the tournament and other venue policies. You might also like: - These items are banned from BC Place during FIFA World Cup in Vancouver - Two-month-long FIFA World Cup closure of Pacific Boulevard next to BC Place Stadium, and other match day road closures - The best way to get to FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver: TransLink's new very frequent, non-stop express bus connects SkyTrain to PNE - Packed patios and crowds fill Vancouver's FIFA World Cup pedestrian zone on Granville Street - Five blocks, five weeks: Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver is now a vibrant FIFA World Cup pedestrian zone - FIFA World Cup screens installed to hide eyesore at Vancouver's perfect viewpoint of Science World soccer ball