The organizers of Vancouver’s Dragon Boat Festival say they’ve been forced to cancel next year’s event due to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a statement, Dragon Boat BC said that Vancouver’s Host City agreement with the international soccer body bans sports and cultural events in the city during a certain time period, and also restricts events within a certain perimeter of BC Place Stadium.
The festival traditionally takes place in late June with competitions in False Creek, a stone’s throw from the stadium.
The World Cup is scheduled to take place in Vancouver from June 11 to June 19.
“We had presented a range of scenarios and their impacts to the City of Vancouver and Province of British Columbia through various ministries and departments over the last few years,” the statement reads.
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“These scenarios detailed the stark financial and operational impacts of the FIFA World Cup on Dragon Boat BC, and also pre-emptively addressed what different time frames, locations, or presentation formats could look like.”
Organizers say they asked the city and province to work with them, but have received no support from either for “alternate scenarios” they presented.
The Dragon Boat Festival isn’t the only one facing potential impacts from the tournament.
The Host City Agreement also requires the city to “establish a “controlled area” located “directly adjacent to the outer stadium perimeter” which could potentially force nearby businesses to close.
It was also revealed last month that demands on security and law enforcement will virtually shut down the court system in the Lower Mainland for the month of June.
The city and the province forecast the World Cup will attract more than a million out-of-province visitors between 2026 and 2031, generating over $1 billion in additional spending.
The latest estimates peg the cost of hosting the event in B.C. as high as $624 million.
Global News is seeking comment from municipal and provincial officials.
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