New $183M amphitheatre at Vancouver's PNE officially opens

New $183M amphitheatre at Vancouver's PNE officially opens

Freedom Mobile Arch seats 10,000 people, cost nearly 3 times original estimates

Vancouver's newest and most eye-catching live entertainment venue is officially open.

The Freedom Mobile Arch at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) held its inaugural event on Friday night, with performers including Jann Arden and Colin James.

The facility, built with B.C. wood products, has a capacity of up to 10,000 people and will serve as the site for Vancouver's FIFA World Cup 2026 fan festival, which kicks off June 11.

It's the first new building constructed at the PNE since the Pacific Coliseum in 1968.

"There have been many, many significant moments in our history, but today really signals the start of a new era for the PNE and for how we're going to continue to touch the hearts of British Columbians moving forward," PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost said Friday.

"This magnificent structure with its incredible roof, it is destined to become an icon for music, arts, culture, for the region and for all of British Columbia as we bring in guests from around the world."

Last year, the City of Vancouver revealed that the cost for the facility had increased to $183 million, nearly triple the original estimate of $64.8 million.

Frost said that original figure was compiled before geotechnical assessments at the site.

Complications during construction, like the discovery of 60 times more underground water than expected, resulted in the cost escalations, Frost said.

New amphitheatre about to open at the PNE

The PNE projects the venue will draw hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, with ticket sales covering the construction costs over the next 15 to 18 years.

"The plan is for it absolutely to be a revenue generator," Frost said.

"We expect a full roster of great shows of every size and every genre to come through, and ... the business case will be more than enough to pay the venue back and for the PNE to continue to thrive in the future."

If those projections prove accurate, it could be a badly needed shot in the arm for the annual summer fair which has struggled with declining attendance over the last two decades, further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just over 612,000 people attended the PNE in 2025, down four per cent from 2024 and the fewest in the 21st century outside of the 2020-22 pandemic window.