BURST
The budget for the PNE’s new amphitheatre, which is under construction and set to host Vancouver’s official FIFA World Cup watching parties next summer, has been increased again to a new total of $183 million, almost triple the original estimate.
City council approved increasing the budget for the city-owned amphitheatre by another $46 million in May at an in-camera, or closed-door, meeting, and the decision was publicly disclosed recently through the city website.
The new 10,000-seat, open air concert and event venue, which is replacing the old PNE Amphitheatre, was approved by Vancouver’s previous council in 2021 with an estimated budget of $65 million. Last year, Vancouver council bumped the budget to $137 million , with a report from city staff at that time explaining additional contingency funds were “required due to fast-track delivery and off-set negative market conditions including escalation (for materials and labour).”
This year’s cost increase is largely driven by “market-driven cost escalation for materials and labour, challenging ground and soil conditions, global cost pressures affecting construction and upgrades to essential utilities and site-wide improvements,” a city spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
“This adjustment resulted from a phased, sequential tendering approach to design and construction. Costs were refined progressively as design milestones were reached, allowing the city to advance the project efficiently while maintaining financial oversight,” the city said.
“The renewed amphitheatre represents a major investment in Vancouver’s cultural infrastructure. Once complete, it will provide a world-class venue for music, festivals, arts and community events, enhancing the city’s reputation as a destination for cultural and entertainment experiences.”
The new amphitheatre, officially known as the Freedom Mobile Arch, is set as the venue for Vancouver’s FIFA Fan Fest from June 11 to 19, 2026, during the international men’s soccer tournament. Vancouver is one of 16 host cities for the event, with seven matches to be contested at B.C. Place.
The PNE plans to host an inaugural event at the Freedom Mobile Arch, before turning over the venue to FIFA in early June, PNE spokeswoman Laura Ballance said this week.
“The PNE Amphitheatre has been an important music and cultural venue in British Columbia for over 65 years, and for a decade the PNE looked at options and worked with the City of Vancouver to build the business case to rebuild or restore the iconic, much needed venue,” Ballance said.
“The new venue will increase public participation and engagement with arts and music, support tourism and employment, as well as increase revenues to support the master plan at Hasting Park. It is also aligned with city cultural, economic and tourism strategies.”
Vancouver Coun. Pete Fry said he was “not especially happy” about the budget increase, “but this is where we’re at.”
“Obviously we have a fixed deadline that we have to meet, and commitments to FIFA for delivering a Fan Fest,” Fry said. “We have the world arriving at our doorstep in just over six months.”
The venue was designed by Revery Architecture, with a curving, six-storey-high roof structure, which has been described as one of the longest timber arched roofs in the world.
After the Cup is over, the Freedom Mobile Arch is expected to host a range of events, from international concerts to local arts programs and cultural events.
In June, the B.C. government pegged the cost of hosting seven Cup matches at B.C. Place at $624 million, more than double the $260 million the B.C. NDP had predicted three years earlier.
Provincial politicians and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim have argued that the public spending will be offset by a boost to the provincial, regional and local economies during and after the Cup.