Our History

BC Place has hosted more than 35 million people since we opened in 1983. We've proudly welcomed of some of the greatest international events in the world, including the Championship Final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 Canada. BC Place has been ‘home turf’ to Canada’s national teams, hosting some of the highest-attended international sporting events in Canadian history. Contributing to the stadium’s reputation as Canada’s premier stadium, recent major event success has included:

• Canada’s Women’s National Team matches and Olympic preparations
• FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches
• Canada’s National Soccer and Rugby international matches
• The annual Canada Sevens - part of the World Rugby Sevens Series
• Multiple CFL Grey Cup Championships
• Concerts by Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Luke Bryan, Jay Z & Beyoncé, Coldplay, Metallica, U2, Guns N’ Roses, and many more
• Proud supporters and home venue for the Whitecaps FC of MLS
• Proud supporters and home venue for the BC Lions of the CFL
• Western Canada’s largest consumer shows including the Vancouver International Boat Show and the BC Home & Garden Show

Other memorable events throughout the years include:

• The 2014 NHL Heritage Classic – Vancouver Canucks vs. Ottawa Senators
• Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games
• Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games
• 8 CFL Grey Cup Championships
• The world’s largest 10km race: the Vancouver Sun Run
• Major League Baseball (MLB) preseason games
• Filming location for Hollywood blockbusters
• Opening Ceremonies of Expo ‘86
• Visits from the Pope, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana

Delivering Economic and Community Benefit

Events such as the annual Canada Sevens at BC Place attract thousands of guests from outside British Columbia. Visiting guests provide business development opportunities for local residents through the purchase of hotel rooms, local hospitality services, and goods and services produced by B.C. businesses. BC Place and PavCo work closely with B.C.’s tourism industry and strategic partners including Sport Hosting Vancouver, Destination BC and Tourism Vancouver, to attract and deliver the biggest and brightest events to our province.

BC Place hosts more than 70 major events and 245+ occupancy days annually on a year-round schedule – helping to build a strong, sustainable economy for British Columbia.

The stadium directly employs hundreds of British Columbians in a wide range of jobs including event hosting and security, housekeeping and maintenance, operations, trades, technicians, and administration.

Events and activities hosted at BC Place create hundreds more indirect employment opportunities within B.C. For example, the FIFA Women’s World Cup alone supported 850 full-year jobs for British Columbians and contributed $39 million worth of wages and salaries in British Columbia.

In 2018, events and activity taking place at BC Place generated more than $165 million economic activity within British Columbia, with $33 million generated by visitors traveling from outside British Columbia to attend events at the stadium.

Since 2011, BC Place has welcomed more than 7.5 million guests from across B.C. and around the world, generating more than $1 billion in economic impact within British Columbia, and contributing more than $230 million in spending from tourists traveling to events at BC Place from outside B.C.

The ‘Wildly Successful’ Canada Sevens at BC Place

The Canada Sevens – part of the World Rugby Sevens Series – continues to grow as a signature event for BC Place. The highly successful annual event generates significant non-resident attendance and economic impact, as well as outstanding global media coverage for the venue. In 2017, the record-breaking Canada Sevens featured:

• 45 matches over the two event days of the Canada Sevens
• 16 national teams from across the globe
• 76,000+ fans
• More than $3 Million in Food and Beverage served at BC Place
• 1,800 locals employed in Hospitality, Hosting, Security, First Aid and more
• $24.5 million in economic activity in BC
• Visitors from more than 18 countries, including England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, Hungary, South Africa, Hong Kong, Japan, and New Zealand.

BC Place continues to work closely with Rugby Canada to secure the rights to host the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series from 2020 through to 2023.

The Record-Breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 Canada

BC Place hosted nine matches during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, including the prestigious Championship Final.

The FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 has been recognized as a landmark event for sport in Canada, receiving multiple awards including ‘Event of the Year’ honours at the 2016 Canadian Tourism Awards. The award celebrated the event for best practices in all aspects of its operations, serving as an example of excellence to other events and festivals and the greater tourism industry.

Numerous records were broken for attendance, viewership, economic impact and community legacies. A study conducted by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA) estimated the FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted at BC Place in 2015 delivered:

• $59 million in net economic activity (GDP) within B.C.
• $118.8 million in total economic activity for British Columbia
• More than $9.7 million in tax revenues supported throughout the province
• 850 full-year jobs for British Columbians
• $39 million worth of wages and salaries in British Columbia.

30th Anniversary Celebrations

In June 2013, we celebrated our 30th anniversary, by inviting British Columbians to share their favourite memories from events at the stadium over the last 30 years. Hundreds of stories were submitted, included memories of visiting the original construction site in 1982, welcoming the world for the ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and seeing Michael Jackson live in concert!

A presentation booklet commemorating the 30th Anniversary of BC Place, including a selection of archival images and personal stories, is available for download here.