Vancouver’s 2026 Dragon Boat Festival cancelled, cites FIFA World Cup restrictions

According to Global News, organizers of the Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival have announced that they have been forced to cancel next year’s event due to restrictions imposed by the 2026 World Cup.

According to a statement from Dragon Boat BC, the host city agreement between Vancouver and FIFA prohibits sporting and cultural events from taking place during a certain time period, as well as placing restrictions on events in the area surrounding BC Place Stadium.

The festival, which is usually held in late June in False Creek, near the stadium, is located right in the affected area.

“The agreement prohibits cultural and sporting activities from June 1st to the end of July, and it also establishes a security zone that we are located right in the middle of. That’s why we have been notified that we will not be allowed to operate next year,” said Dominic Lai, director of development, marketing and operations for Dragon Boat BC.

Organizers say they have presented various scenarios and the financial and operational implications to the city and provincial governments since the World Cup was announced. The scenarios explored alternative times, venues and ways of holding the event, but they say they have not received any support from officials to implement these alternatives.

The Dragon Boat Festival is not the only event affected by the World Cup.

Under the host city agreement, the city must establish a “controlled zone” around the stadium, which could result in the closure of some businesses near the venue.

It was also announced last month that security pressures and the need for law enforcement could lead to widespread closures or delays in Lower Mainland courts in June.

The City of Vancouver, in response to questions, has delegated responsibility to the provincial government but said it is working with cultural and sporting event organizers to avoid any time and location conflicts with the World Cup.

The city said in a statement:

“We expect most annual events to proceed as planned, although changes may be required in timing, location or scale.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism said that British Columbia’s Tourism Minister, Ann Kang, was unavailable for comment.

“Major events can present challenges for communities, and sometimes long-standing events need to change their timing or location. We understand that these adjustments are difficult. Since the 2022 World Cup was announced, event organizers across the province have had time to prepare for these changes. Many events have been able to find new times or locations to host their events.”

The city and government have projected that the FIFA World Cup will attract more than one million out-of-province visitors to Vancouver between 2026 and 2031, generating more than $1 billion in additional spending on the regional economy.

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