Latest news with #ConcordPacificDragonBoatFestival
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Organizers say FIFA World Cup rules forcing cancellation of 2026 dragon boat festival
The organizers of Vancouver's Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival say they are being forced to cancel next year's races in False Creek. As Kier Junos reports, it's all because of the rules surrounding the FIFA World Cup and some dragon boaters are unhappy about it.
The Province
02-08-2025
- Sport
- The Province
'Like a second COVID': 2026 Vancouver dragon boat festival cancelled as FIFA restrictions hit hard
The World Cup matches go from June 11 to 19, but the exclusion zone will be enforced from June 1 until the end of July, according to Dragon Boat B.C. Under the City of Vancouver's Host City Agreement with FIFA, sports and cultural events are prohibited during a designated exclusion period. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Vancouver's Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival has been cancelled for next summer due to restrictions tied to the FIFA World Cup, and it may not be the only downtown event impacted by a months-long ban on public programs around B.C. Place. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'FIFA is like a second COVID for us in terms of its impacts on our organization,' said Dominic Lai, spokesperson for Dragon Boat B.C., which relies on the annual Vancouver festival for up to 45 per cent of its yearly revenue. 'When you pull out around 40 per cent of a house's foundation, you can't expect it to be stable. That's the position we find ourselves in now.' In addition to the annual Vancouver festival, the non-profit runs 12 large-scale events, four smaller races and year-round paddling programs at two B.C. facilities. Under the City of Vancouver's Host City Agreement with FIFA, sports and cultural events are prohibited during a designated exclusion period and within a restricted zone around the stadium, although the exact size and scope of that area remain unclear, as they are to be decided individually by each host venue. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While Vancouver is scheduled to host World Cup matches from June 11 to 19, the exclusion zone will be enforced from June 1 until the end of July, according to Dragon Boat B.C., which announced its festival's cancellation on Thursday. Held in the waters just outside B.C. Place stadium, the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival is one of the largest in North America, drawing tens of thousands of spectators annually to False Creek each summer. Last year's event brought together 200 teams from nine countries. After Vancouver was named a FIFA World Cup host city in 2022, the organization says it spent years trying to plan around the blackout period. '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 organization told Postmedia in a statement. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Lai said they did not hear back from senior levels of government until this week, when the province told them the festival would not be granted a permit in 2026 due to the FIFA-restricted zone. 'Without clear information and support, non-profit organizations such as Dragon Boat B.C. will have to navigate the challenging operational and financial impacts of the host city agreement on their own. When asked for comment Friday, B.C.'s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport directed inquiries to the City of Vancouver. In a statement, the city's FIFA World Cup 26 host committee said it is working with organizers of sports and cultural events scheduled between June 4 and July 14 to ensure they do not conflict geographically, 'and that there are sufficient city resources to support a safe environment for all to enjoy.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The committee said it expects most annual events to proceed in some form, although some may require changes to timing, location or scale. 'This approach is designed to balance public safety, manage city service demands, and enhance the experience for both residents and visitors.' Hosting the event 'is a landmark opportunity for Vancouver to welcome the world and showcase our city's culture, diversity and hospitality, and generate significant economic benefit for our city and province,' the statement added. 'To support the safe and successful delivery of this global event and ensure that resources are managed and deployed effectively, the city will observe an 'event restriction period' aligned with Host City obligations.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But Lai said rescheduling the festival to May or August would deal a financial blow to the organization, which earns most of its revenue from race registrations. 'If we were trying to avoid the FIFA exclusion window and hold it in May, some of the teams on the East Coast wouldn't be able to compete because they haven't been training for very long, their water is still frozen … or if we go later in August, then we are directly competing against the national world championships.' 'The ball is in the city and province's court as to what they choose to do next,' Lai said. Senior levels of government predict that more than a million visitors from outside B.C. will attend the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver, generating more than $1 billion in additional spending. Costs to host the global sporting event in the city are projected to reach as much as $624 million. sgrochowski@ Read More Vancouver Whitecaps News Vancouver Canucks Local News News
Toronto Star
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Vancouver's Dragon Boat Festival pushed out by FIFA World Cup
VANCOUVER - Organizers of the annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver say the event will be cancelled next year to make way for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Dominic Lai, the operations director with Dragon Boat BC, says the city declined to provide permits for 2026 edition of the festival.
Hamilton Spectator
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Vancouver's Dragon Boat Festival pushed out by FIFA World Cup
VANCOUVER - Organizers of the annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver say the event will be cancelled next year to make way for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Dominic Lai, the operations director with Dragon Boat BC, says the city declined to provide permits for 2026 edition of the festival. Lai says they have been told Vancouver's host city agreement for World Cup prohibits cultural and sporting events during a certain time frame and also restricts events within a certain radius of BC Place Stadium. The dragon boat festival usually takes place in late June, with last year's event drawing 200 teams from nine countries. He says the festival takes place in the restricted area, about 20 metres from the stadium that's set to host seven games during the World Cup next in June. A statement from Dragon Boat BC says the group had presented the city and the provincial government with different options for locations and time frames for its festival over the last few years, but it had not been successful in finding a solution. 'At this time, there is no confirmed support from the city and the province for the alternate scenarios we have presented,' it says. 'Without clear information and support, non-profit organizations like Dragon Boat BC will have to navigate the challenging operational and financial impacts of the host city agreement on their own.' The City of Vancouver directed a request for comment to the B.C. government. A statement from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport says it was aware that next year's dragon boat festival has been cancelled. It says the 2026 FIFA World Cup was announced in 2022, and many event organizers have used the 'lead time' to find alternative dates and locations. Lai says it's not as simple as changing the date, as the dragon boat festival depends on water conditions, the availability of docks and when competitors can attend. He likened the 2026 FIFA World Cup to 'the second pandemic' that is delivering a 'substantial' financial blow to his organization. Lai says hosting the FIFA World Cup is meant to benefit the entire community. 'The legacy of FIFA needs to be one where the community comes out stronger than before,' he says. 'That's really important to make sure that … all these community organizations are in a good place to benefit from these impacts after FIFA is gone.' The city and the B.C. government have said hosting seven matches is estimated to generate more than $1 billion in visitor spending and create some 18,000 jobs. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
02-08-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Vancouver's Dragon Boat Festival pushed out by FIFA World Cup
VANCOUVER – Organizers of the annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver say the event will be cancelled next year to make way for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Dominic Lai, the operations director with Dragon Boat BC, says the city declined to provide permits for 2026 edition of the festival. Lai says they have been told Vancouver's host city agreement for World Cup prohibits cultural and sporting events during a certain time frame and also restricts events within a certain radius of BC Place Stadium. The dragon boat festival usually takes place in late June, with last year's event drawing 200 teams from nine countries. He says the festival takes place in the restricted area, about 20 metres from the stadium that's set to host seven games during the World Cup next in June. A statement from Dragon Boat BC says the group had presented the city and the provincial government with different options for locations and time frames for its festival over the last few years, but it had not been successful in finding a solution. 'At this time, there is no confirmed support from the city and the province for the alternate scenarios we have presented,' it says. 'Without clear information and support, non-profit organizations like Dragon Boat BC will have to navigate the challenging operational and financial impacts of the host city agreement on their own.' The City of Vancouver directed a request for comment to the B.C. government. A statement from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport says it was aware that next year's dragon boat festival has been cancelled. It says the 2026 FIFA World Cup was announced in 2022, and many event organizers have used the 'lead time' to find alternative dates and locations. Lai says it's not as simple as changing the date, as the dragon boat festival depends on water conditions, the availability of docks and when competitors can attend. He likened the 2026 FIFA World Cup to 'the second pandemic' that is delivering a 'substantial' financial blow to his organization. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Lai says hosting the FIFA World Cup is meant to benefit the entire community. 'The legacy of FIFA needs to be one where the community comes out stronger than before,' he says. 'That's really important to make sure that … all these community organizations are in a good place to benefit from these impacts after FIFA is gone.' The city and the B.C. government have said hosting seven matches is estimated to generate more than $1 billion in visitor spending and create some 18,000 jobs. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.
