Jack Poole Plaza: Where Vancouver Comes Together

For nearly a month during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Jack Poole Plaza welcomed the world to one of Canada’s most recognizable gathering places, with Vancouver’s iconic waterfront showcased to a national audience as the backdrop for TSN/CTV’s broadcast studio. 

Thousands of fans joined together on the waterfront at the free public viewing site, creating an electric atmosphere as they watched live broadcasts from the temporary TSN/CTV studio and cheered on their teams. Rain or shine, the plaza brought people together to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event against Vancouver’s spectacular harbour scenery. 

Where Vancouver Gathered — and the World Watched 

At its peak, more than 7,000 fans packed the plaza in a single day, and over 50,000 visitors joined us over the course of the tournament. 

Daily TSN broadcasts showcased Vancouver’s spectacular harbour and mountain views to audiences across Canada, with seaplanes taking off, cruise ships arriving, and the city’s waterfront as a backdrop. 

Behind the scenes, extensive planning and joint effort supported the excitement fans experienced on the plaza.  

Transforming Jack Poole Plaza into a world-class broadcast destination required innovative design, engineering, and construction to support the temporary 85,000-pound TSN/CTV studio and public viewing site. This project united teams from the Vancouver Convention Centre, event organizers, contractors, partners, and broadcasters to coordinate logistics and operations. 

Together, these efforts showcased Vancouver to audiences around the world and created unforgettable memories for the thousands of fans at the plaza. 

A Legacy of Landmark Moments

The FIFA World Cup is the latest chapter in Jack Poole Plaza’s history as one of Vancouver’s premier public gathering places. 

The plaza has hosted many of the city’s most memorable moments, from the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to events connected to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

More recently, for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic celebration, hundreds gathered as the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Cauldron was relit to mark the opening of the Winter Games. Community leaders, athletes, partners, and government representatives came together once again, reinforcing the plaza’s role as a site of shared pride and inspiration. 

A Place for Community 

Beyond major sporting events, Jack Poole Plaza is a vibrant public space where communities gather to celebrate Vancouver’s diversity and culture. We host festivals, cultural celebrations, community events, and convention activations throughout the year.  

From the Pakistan Festival and Mexican Independence Day celebrations to the Canucks Autism Network Family Festival, Canada Day festivities, and the annual Vancouver Christmas Market, the plaza continues to bring people together in one of the city’s most spectacular waterfront settings.  

Whether it’s cheering on a favourite team, celebrating cultural traditions, or marking an important civic milestone, Jack Poole Plaza is where Vancouver comes together.  

We are proud of everyone who made this extraordinary summer possible—from Vancouver Convention Centre employees and partners to volunteers, contractors, local businesses, and fans. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Jack Poole Plaza for many more unforgettable experiences.