Latest news with #DragonBoatBC
CBC
02-08-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Fate of next year's Vancouver dragon boat festival in doubt due to FIFA World Cup, organizers say
The organizers of the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver say it appears next year's races will be cancelled because of rules surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Dominic Lai of Dragon Boat B.C. says Vancouver's host city agreement with FIFA prohibits cultural and sporting events in the city within a certain time frame and restricts events within a certain radius of B.C. Place, which is set to host seven World Cup matches between June 13 and July 7. The event, which organizers describe as North America's largest dragon boat festival, takes place in False Creek, a short distance from B.C. Place, usually around the summer solstice. "We tried to come up with alternate solutions, and we presented these solutions to the city and the province," Lai said. "But ultimately, we still haven't got any confirmation of any type of support for it, and we're in a tough place." Lai says organizers are working with the city and province in search of a solution, but as it stands, they face a financial deficit. The City of Vancouver says it is collaborating with organizers of sporting and cultural events taking place between June 4 and July 14 "to ensure that events don't conflict geographically, and that there are sufficient City resources to support a safe environment for all to enjoy." The city also said it is working with event organizers and FIFA to minimize impacts, and it expects "most annual events to proceed in some form, though some may see adjustments in timing, location or scale." A statement from B.C.'s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture says the province "is aware that this event is impacted by the World Cup and understands that major events can create challenges for communities — sometimes requiring established events to change timing or location, and we appreciate how difficult those adjustments can be." Lai says adjustments mean Dragon Boat B.C. faces a financial deficit, and poses existential questions. "FIFA is a behemoth. It will do what it does. It's the world's largest sporting event for a reason, and they have a standard of excellence they need to deliver on," he said.
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.
Global News
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Vancouver's 2026 Dragon Boat Festival cancelled, cites FIFA World Cup restrictions
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. 1:54 Documents exposes security measures for FIFA World Cup in Vancouver The World Cup is scheduled to take place in Vancouver from June 11 to June 19. Story continues below advertisement '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. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy '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. 2:15 FIFA World Cup to cause B.C. court delays 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. Story continues below advertisement 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.
