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Vancouver Cancels 2026 Dragon Boat Festival Under FIFA Host City Agreement

Organizers say FIFA security requirements around BC Place Stadium prevented any alternative timing or venue for the traditional late-June festival.

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Under the City of Vancouver's Host City Agreement with FIFA, sports and cultural events are prohibited during a designated exclusion period.
Competitors line up at the start line during the Dragon Boat Festival on False Creek in Vancouver, on Sunday June 22, 2014.

Overview

  • Dragon Boat BC confirmed on August 1 that it will not hold the 2026 festival following an impasse over FIFA’s event blackout policy.
  • The Host City Agreement enforces a controlled security perimeter around BC Place Stadium and bans cultural and sports events from June 11 to 19, 2026.
  • Organizers offered detailed alternative scenarios with different dates, locations, and formats but received no support from municipal or provincial authorities.
  • The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival usually attracts about 125,000 spectators and makes up around 35 percent of Dragon Boat BC’s operating revenue.
  • Vancouver and British Columbia officials say they are working to reschedule or relocate other annual events to comply with World Cup security requirements.