Granville Street shuts down for 7 weeks of FIFA programming
Five city blocks will be closed to traffic from June 8 to July 28 for a pedestrian zone with themed activations.
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Granville Street between West Georgia and Davie will close completely to vehicles starting Monday, June 8, transforming the Entertainment District into a FIFA World Cup pedestrian zone through July 28.
The closure affects five city blocks and reroutes all vehicle traffic, including TransLink buses, to Seymour Street (northbound) and Howe Street (southbound). Bus access to Yaletown via northbound Granville will be maintained as far as Davie Street for trolley service. TransLink is adding dedicated bus lanes on both reroute streets and launching a new temporary No. 1 Downtown Vancouver South circulator loop via Burrard, Davie, Cambie, and West Pender streets. The circulator runs June 8 to July 12, every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to midnight daily.
The actual pedestrian zone programming launches Thursday, June 11 — the same day the FIFA World Cup kicks off in Mexico City — after setup is complete. The street closes to foot traffic on Sunday, July 19 (championship final day) but doesn't reopen to vehicles until July 28.
Downtown Van, the local business improvement association, is programming five distinct blocks with themes including Selfie Central, Enchanted Forest, Game On (soccer), Awesome Art, and Rainbow Realness. Expect expanded patios, art activations, local vendors, and live music. The $800,000 effort makes this one of Vancouver's largest unofficial World Cup activations. The city has designated temporary loading, taxi, and ride-hailing zones on nearby streets to support businesses.