Mostly paid seating planned for PNE amphitheatre at FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver

Some lucky fans will be able to watch World Cup matches at the PNE's brand new amphitheatre at no cost, but most seats will be for paying customers.

Initially billed as a place to watch World Cup games for free on big screens, it is now emerging that the bulk of spots in the new amphitheatre under construction at the PNE will be reserved for paid premium seats as part of the FIFA Fan Festival.

“So the FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver is free,” said Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Anne Kang during a Tuesday news conference at Vancouver city hall. “The amphitheatre is an enhanced experience. So when you think about the amphitheatre, perhaps think about places like BC Place or the Pacific Coliseum. It is very usual for any host cities to be able to host an enhanced experience.”

While the venue will be free to access and there will be screens available in other parts of the PNE grounds, only about a quarter of the spots at the amphitheatre itself—about 2,600—will be free on a first-come, first-served basis.

“I can assure everyone, wherever you are in PNE, in Hastings Park, you will be able to see a big screen and you’ll be able to enjoy the games for free,” Kang said.

Mayor Ken Sim says the City of Vancouver is contributing $5 million toward the fan fest, which will run from June 11 to July 19.

But fans will have to a wait a little longer to learn when and how they can buy premium tickets.

“Those details will be coming shortly as we get closer to the event, but, you know, everyone will be informed of it when it’s released and they’ll have an opportunity to participate,” Sim said Tuesday.

Tuesday’s announcement regarding the fan fest was slim on details, including how much the premium seats would ultimately cost.

“So the pricing of the tickets, as the mayor said, will come in the days to come,” Kang said. “The host committee is making preparations to release that information so people can reserve their experience.”

Having paid seating may be a way to make the event more viable.

In recent weeks, New York cancelled its primary fan fest, while cities including Boston and Seattle have announced scaled-down events, citing financial concerns.

Reports in the United States have indicated the fan fests can cost host cities somewhere in the range of US$1 million per day to day operate, with significant security costs.