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 Interior view during aWomen's World Cup soccer match in June 2015 | |
| Address |
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|---|---|
| Coordinates | 49°16′36″N123°6′43″W / 49.27667°N 123.11194°W /49.27667; -123.11194 |
| Public transit | |
| Owner | Province of British Columbia |
| Operator | BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo) |
| Executive suites | 50[1] |
| Capacity | |
| Record attendance | 65,061 (September 2, 2023,Ed Sheeran,+–=÷× Tour)[3] |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Construction | |
| Opened | June 19, 1983; 41 years ago (1983-06-19) |
| Renovated |
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| Construction cost | |
| Architect |
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| Tenants | |
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| Website | |
| bcplace.com | |
BC Place is amulti-purpose stadium inVancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located at the north side ofFalse Creek, it is owned and operated by theBC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), aCrown corporation of the province.
The venue is currently the home of theBC Lions of theCanadian Football League (CFL),Vancouver Whitecaps FC ofMajor League Soccer (MLS), the annualCanada Sevens (part of theWorld Rugby Sevens Series), as well as theBC Sports Hall of Fame.
Opened on June 19, 1983, BC Place was originally an indoor structure with anair-supported roof, the world's largest at the time.[6][7] Following the2010 Winter Olympics, it was closed for 16 months as part of an extensive revitalization, the centrepiece of which was replacing the inflatable roof with aretractable roof supported by cables. Once construction was completed, the stadium's new roof was also the largest of its type.
BC Place was themain stadium for the 2010 Winter Olympics and2010 Winter Paralympics, the2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, as well as a venue for multiple matches including the championship match for the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. The stadium is set to host multiple matches during the2026 FIFA World Cup, including knockout stage matches.
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Construction of the stadium started in February of 1981, withDillingham Construction contracted to build the stadium, designed by architecture firm Studio Phillips Barratt, Ltd.[5] BC Place was built as part of the preparations for the 1986 World's Fair,Expo 86. Upon its completion in 1983, the stadium, designed by structural engineersGeiger Berger Associates,[5][8] was the world's largestair-supported domed stadium until May 4, 2010, when it was deflated for the last time in preparation for the erection of its new retractable roof.[9] Its original air-supported design was similar to theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome inMinneapolis, Minnesota, which later stored pieces of the roof for reuse.[10]
The stadium held its grand opening on June 19, 1983.[6][7] The first major event held in the stadium came the next day, June 20, when theVancouver Whitecaps hosted theSeattle Sounders in a Monday nightNorth American Soccer League (NASL) game with attendance announced at 60,342.[11][12] On June 23, 1983, theBC Lions played their first game at the new stadium, a preseason 41–19 victory against theCalgary Stampeders with 53,472 in attendance.[13] A month later, on July 24, 1983, a crowd of 41,810 watched the BC Lions defeat theSaskatchewan Roughriders 44–28 in the Lions' first regular season game at the stadium.[14] The venue would host theSoccer Bowl '83 and the1983 Grey Cup game later that year.[15][16][17] On September 18, 1984,Pope John Paul II addressed an over-capacity crowd of 60,000 for "A Celebration of Life". The celebration was part of the papal visit to theArchdiocese of Vancouver. It was one of the most heavily attended events in the stadium. The Pope's Celebration of Life was followed a few months later by theBilly Graham Crusade, which drew similar numbers[citation needed] for eight nights.[18]
The stadium was then used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication (Expo '86). Accepting an invitation by theProvince of British Columbia,Prince Charles andPrincess Diana presided over the opening ceremonies of the World's Fair on May 2, 1986.[18] In 1987, an exhibition match ofAustralian rules football was played at the stadium and drew a crowd of 32,789 – a record for the largestAFL/VFL crowd outside of Australia.[citation needed] The stadium also hosted aNational Football League exhibition game in 1998 when theSan Francisco 49ers defeated theSeattle Seahawks 24–21 in theAmerican Bowl with 45,000 in attendance.[19]
On January 5, 2007, snow accumulated on the air-supported Teflon Fibreglass roof, despite strict zero accumulation of ice guidelines and ice accumulation structural warnings. The accumulation caused a tear in the roof'sETFE-coated fabric close to Gate G on the south side where the roof meets the top of the concrete bowl.[20][21] The tear grew quickly as air escaped through it, whereupon maintenance staff performed an intentional, controlled deflation to protect the integrity of the roof's intact fabric panels.[22] As it was designed to do, the deflated roof rested on its steel support cables 6 metres (20 ft) above the seating and the field. Normally, the roof had a rise of 27 metres (90 ft) above the top of the bowl when inflated.[23] No one was injured during the incident, although rain and melted snow flooded the bowl and subsequently had to be pumped out.
An independent report indicated that an accidental rapid pressurization combined with lightly gusting wind and a location of previously undetected damage caused the tear.[24] The damaged panel was replaced with a temporary one on January 19 and the roof was re-inflated.[25][26] The BC Contractors Association held an exhibition in the stadium over the week of January 23,[27] during which the roof leaked in several places when it rained.[28] The temporary panel was successfully replaced with a permanent one in June 2007, just prior to the start of the2007 CFL season.[29]
On May 16, 2008, it was announced that over $150 million in major renovations would be carried out on BC Place Stadium. The work was done in two phases. The first phase involved upgrades to seating, washrooms, concessions, and luxury suites, as well as the reinforcement of the existing ring beam at the top of the building[30] and was completed in October 2009, in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Work on the retractable roof began in May 2010, withPCL Westcoast Constructors Inc. contracted to construct the roof designed by architecture firm Stantec Architecture Ltd. and structural engineering firmGeiger Engineers, withSchlaich Bergermann & Partner serving as consulting engineers and Genivar, Inc. acting as services engineers.[31] Geiger also designed the stadium's new centre-hung scoreboard.[31] The roof's construction began immediately after the completion of the2010 Winter Paralympics and the final deflation of the air-supported roof. The official budget for the completed Phase 1 upgrades plus the revitalization project was $514 million.[32] The new roof, acable-supported retractable roof system first used with theCommerzbank-Arena inFrankfurt, Germany,[33] is the largest of its kind.[34] The opening measures 100 by 85 metres (109 by 93 yd), the same size as the field below. The fabric roof retracts into and is hidden by a pod in the centre of the opening, above the suspended videoboard.[35]
The updated stadium also features the second largest centre-hung high definition scoreboard in North America, after the one inAT&T Stadium.[36] In addition, a newartificial turf developed byPolytan was installed at an estimated cost of $1.2 million. It is designed to achieve FIFA 2-star certification, the highest rating possible. The soccer pitch is 117 by 75 yards (107 by 69 m).[37]
TSN analyst and former CFL playerChris Schultz praised both the design and engineering of the new stadium.[36] Columnist Brian Hutchinson has praised the renovations for significantly improving the acoustics, and providing a bright and airy feel to the stadium. These were aspects that were missing in its previous air-supported roof incarnation, as well as theMontreal Olympic Stadium and theRogers Centre (formerlySkyDome).[34]
The artificial turf installed between September 2011 and April 2015 drew criticism, notably its lacklustre characteristics for playing professional level soccer.[38][39] A new artificial turf was installed in May 2015, prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015. The total cost of the turf upgrade was $1.327 million, with Canada Soccer and Rugby Canada contributing $500,000 CDN to the project.[40] Liam Middleton, Canada's Rugby Sevens coach, stated that the new surface was "better than some natural grass surfaces they've played on."[41]
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The opening and closing ceremonies of theXXI Olympic Winter Games and the opening ceremonies of theX Paralympic Winter Games were also held in BC Place Stadium in February and March 2010, respectively. The stadium was the firstair-supported structure and 24th venue to host the opening ceremonies of theWinter Olympics. It was also both the third CFL venue and the third Canadian venue to have served as anOlympic Stadium, afterMontreal'sOlympic Stadium andCalgary'sMcMahon Stadium.[citation needed]
The47th Vanier Cup was the first Canadian university football championship paired with the Grey Cup Festival and played on November 25, 2011, between theMcMaster Marauders andLaval Rouge et Or in front of 24,935. Nicknamed "Best Game... Ever",[51] it is widely regarded as one of the most excitingCanadian Football games of all time[52] with McMaster winning 41–38 in double overtime. It was the first championship played in the newly renovated facility.[citation needed]
The2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament final between theUnited States andCanada played at the stadium was the highest attendance for a women's CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying game with 25,427 people in attendance.[53]
The2014 NHL Heritage Classic took place March 2, 2014, in BC Place, with theOttawa Senators facing off against the home teamVancouver Canucks.[54] It was the first NHL game to be played in aretractable roof stadium.[55]
BC Place hosted its second major international sports competition, the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Fivegroup stage matches, tworound of 16 matches, and onequarter-final were held in the stadium during June 2015, and theFinal betweenJapan and theUnited States was played here on July 5, 2015.[56] The Canada women's national team playedAustralia at BC Place on December 5, 2023, as part of a farewell tour forChristine Sinclair. The stadium was temporarily renamed to Christine Sinclair Place in her honor.[57]
The stadium hosted round six of the HSBCWorld Rugby Sevens Series 2015–16 series.[58]
A new overall attendance record was set on September 2, 2023, with 65,061 people attending anEd Sheeran concert, surpassing the previous record of 63,803 set by aU2 concert in 2009.[3] On December 6, 7, and 8, 2024, BC Place hosted the final three shows ofTaylor Swift'sThe Eras Tour.[59]
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BC Place's main sports tenants are theBC Lions of theCanadian Football League (CFL) andVancouver Whitecaps FC ofMajor League Soccer (MLS). TheVancouver Nighthawks, a member of theWorld Basketball League, played the 1988 season at BC Place.[60]
The Lions have played at BC Place since it opened in 1983 and had a record attendance of 59,478 for three games in 1985 and 1986.[61] When it was built, the floor of BC Place was too small to accommodate a full-sized CFL regulation field, as a result BC Place became the first CFL stadium to use a 20-yardend zone instead of the regulation 25-yard end zone then in use. Although controversial at first, the smaller end zone proved highly popular with players and was adopted league-wide in 1986.[62]
The stadium has hosted the CFL's championship game, theGrey Cup, ten times: in1983,1986,1987,1990,1994,1999,2005,2011,2014, and2024. Notable was the 1994 championship, in which the hometownBC Lions defeated the U.S. expansion team theBaltimore Football Club on a last-secondfield goal byLui Passaglia, preventing theGrey Cup trophy from leaving Canada (Baltimore would win the Grey Cup the following year). The stadium hosted the99th Grey Cup in 2011 after the new roof was completed (this Grey Cup game was also won by the BC Lions at home).[63]
Several incarnations of the Whitecaps have played at BC Place. The originalVancouver Whitecaps of theNorth American Soccer League (NASL) played at the stadium from 1983 to 1984, when the team folded.[64] The team hosted the first sporting event at BC Place, a regular season match against theSeattle Sounders on June 20, 1983, which drew 60,342 spectators.[61]Soccer Bowl '83 was also held at BC Place, where theTulsa Roughnecks defeated theToronto Blizzard 2–0 in front of 53,326 spectators.[65]
The stadium was also used for exhibition matches as well asCanada national team fixtures during the 1980s and 1990s. The second incarnation of the Whitecaps, initially named theVancouver 86ers, played exhibition matches at BC Place in 1991 and 1992 before returning for regular season games in 1995 during renovations toSwangard Stadium.[66] On November 7, 2007, the Whitecaps hosted theLA Galaxy for an exhibition match that drew 48,172 spectators—mainly attracted by the appearance ofDavid Beckham.[67]
On August 21, 2021, the Whitecaps played their first home game at BC Place since the COVID-19 pandemic after being forced to stay in the United States for the 2020 season and the first half of the 2021 season. They won 2–1 againstLos Angeles FC.
After the Whitecaps joined MLS and moved into the renovated BC Place, the team only sold seats in the lower bowl. They drew a record of 27,683 spectators for a regular season match againstSeattle Sounders FC in 2018 without opening the upper bowl.[61] The restriction was lifted for a2023 playoff match againstLos Angeles FC on November 5, 2023; the match had 30,204 spectators.[68] The team set their new MLS attendance record on May 25, 2024, with 51,035 spectators during a regular season match againstInter Miami CF who had signed soccer legendLionel Messi the year prior.[69]
| Date | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 8, 2015 |  Cameroon | 6–0 |  Ecuador | Group C | 25,942 |
 Japan | 1–0 |  Switzerland | 25,942 | ||
| June 12, 2015 | Switzerland | 10–1 | Ecuador | 31,441 | |
| Japan | 2–1 | Cameroon | 31,441 | ||
| June 16, 2015 |  Nigeria | 0–1 |  United States | Group D | 52,193 |
| June 21, 2015 |  Canada | 1–0 | Switzerland | Round of 16 | 53,855 |
| June 23, 2015 | Japan | 2–1 |  Netherlands | 28,717 | |
| June 27, 2015 |  England | 2–1 | Canada | Quarterfinal | 54,027 |
| July 5, 2015 | United States | 5–2 | Japan | Final | 54,027 |
BC Place will host seven matches during the2026 FIFA World Cup as one of two Canadian venues alongsideBMO Field in Toronto. Among them are five group stage matches, including two home games for the Canada national team on June 18 and 24, and two knockout stage matches: one in the round of 32 and another in the round of 16.[70] The provincial government estimates that it will cost $240–260 million to stage, plan, and host the matches at BC Place.[71]
BC Place can also be used in a baseball configuration to attract a futureMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise.[72] It can accommodate a baseball diamond with retractable seating sections making room for right field. TheVancouver Canadians of the Triple-APacific Coast League played several series of games there between 1984 and 1988, including games 1 and 2 of the 1985 league championship series. Numerous MLBspring training games were also played, including in 1984 (Toronto Blue Jays andMilwaukee Brewers), 1986 (Chicago Cubs,San Diego Padres,Montreal Expos andSeattle Mariners), 1993 (Toronto, Seattle, Milwaukee andDetroit Tigers) and1994 MLB season (Toronto, Seattle, Montreal andColorado Rockies).[73] The Mariners explored plans to play regular season games at BC Place in the mid-1990s,[74] but were unable to receive approval from MLB.[75][76]
In the mid-1990s, the stadium was planned to be the home of the yet-to-be named Vancouver team, a charter franchise of theUnited League (UL) which was planned to be a third league of MLB; it never came to fruition.[77][78]
The stadium is served by twoSkyTrain stations on two lines: theExpo Line (TransLink)'sStadium–Chinatown to the East, and theCanada Line'sYaletown–Roundhouse to the west.TransLink also operates several bus routes that stop near BC Place.[79] TheFalse Creek Ferries andAquabus also serve the stadium, docking at the nearby Plaza of Nations.
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