Vancouver’s big moment on the World Cup stage was still a day away, but fans at the PNE Amphitheatre brought energy to spare on Friday as they watched Canada’s debut match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto.
And the packed amphitheatre, the main venue for Vancouver’s official FIFA Fan Festival, earned rave reviews as supporters watched the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
The brand-new $183-million amphitheatre, now officially the Freedom Mobile Arch, is already emerging as one of the best places in Canada to watch the tournament.
Supporters must pay for seating, but the mosh pit that is the free standing area in front of the main stage was where the action was — particularly when Canada scored a late-game equalizer and the crowd erupted.
Fans appeared to hold their breath in the moments before Cyle Larin scored in the 78th minute of play, triggering delirious celebrations that knocked over the barrier between the crowd and the stage.
Vancouver resident Otavio Ferreira said the energy inside the venue shifted with Canada’s goal.
“I felt that every counter-strike that we had was an opportunity to score, so guys were chanting and screaming and getting really excited,” Ferreira said.
Ferreira, who has also attended World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, said the amphitheatre, covered by a soaring wooden arch, is a “world-class” venue.
He said he had tickets to see Canada’s next two games against Qatar and Switzerland at BC Place, but he was a fan of the “vibe” at the fan festival and would be back.
Fellow Canadian fan Lorena Navarrete said she spontaneously made the trip from Victoria on Friday to attend the fan festival.
“The energy was amazing from start to finish,” she said, adding that she intends to make the trip to East Vancouver a few more times throughout the tournament.
“Canada pulled it off, and the team did amazing and I’m looking forward to the next game.”
Vancouver hosts its first game of the tournament on Saturday, between Australia and Turkey.
The City of Vancouver also officially opened its World Cup pedestrian zone running down Granville Street on Friday, through the centre of the downtown core.
Selfie stations, foosball tables, an art zone and a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community cover the blocks-long zone.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said the atmosphere during the games had been “absolutely alive,” and businesses in the area would reap the benefits.
Kristian Jensen from Australia said he had checked out both Granville Street and the fan festival and was impressed.
“The fever is here. We went out to the fan festival yesterday to watch the Korean game. That was a great place to be,” said Jensen of watching the match that South Korea won on Thursday evening.
He’s getting ready to really party on Saturday.
“It’s gonna be a good day, a long day. Start early, the party’s gonna go all day,” said Jensen.
Sim, who was also at the fan festival on Thursday, said he was confident the city had “something for almost every single fan of football.”
Dozens of police were walking through the Granville Street crowd, while cement safety barriers, painted pink, and white bollards were set up to block traffic.
Aaron Lacey, who manages two Irish pubs on Granville Street, said the buzz has been “just phenomenal,” and he expects the street to be buzzing for the next five weeks of the tournament.
Back at the fan festival, Stefan Eriksson from Chilliwack, B.C., also had plans to attend the Canada-Switzerland match in person later in the tournament but for now he just wanted to be around fellow Canadian fans.
“I’ve been waiting for this since I was young, especially to see a World Cup match on home soil,” said Eriksson, who’s a member of the Voyageurs, the Canadian supporters group.
“The energy is gonna be incredible,” he said ahead of Friday’s match, adding, “Allez les rouges!”
New Westminster, B.C., resident Dave Mori, who was at the amphitheatre on Friday, said there had been a “clear, definite shift” in the city as the tournament ramps up.
“I think you see more people bought in to Canadian soccer now,” he said after Canada’s match.
“I see less people wearing Canadian hockey jerseys. I see more wearing Canadian soccer jerseys.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2026.
By Brieanna Charlebois and Nono Shen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
