Archival footage captures BC Place construction in early 1980s
A five-minute film from 1981 shows the monumental effort—and shirtless workers—that went into building Vancouver's iconic stadium before its 1983 opening.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Archival film footage from the early 1980s captures the construction of BC Place, one of the older venues in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, showing the raw effort that went into the megaproject.
Construction ran from 1981 to 1983. The five-minute film, made to document the work, shows the city site just after groundbreaking in 1981, with massive concrete blocks and girders being positioned into place. Welders, cranes, and a surprising number of workers with shirts completely or partially off feature prominently in the footage.
The film wraps with the roof being installed—a civic event in 1982 where crowds gathered to watch. Time-lapse footage shows the roof rising from inside and outside, prompting locals to give BC Place a descriptive nickname: "the marshmallow in bondage."
The stadium's new roof was built in 2011, but BC Place itself turned 40 in 2023. In those four decades, it has hosted some of Vancouver's biggest moments.
Built for Expo 86, the stadium has welcomed visits from Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and Taylor Swift. It hosted the 2015 Women's World Cup final and the 2014 NHL Heritage Classic. Swift famously ended her Eras Tour in 2024 with three shows at BC Place—though it's Ed Sheeran who holds the single-show attendance record with 65,061 fans.
Beyond sports and pop stars, BC Place has become one of Canada's biggest indoor concert venues, with Beyoncé, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, and Diljit Dosanjh all taking the stage.
Now, with seven matches of the 2026 Men's World Cup scheduled at the venue, BC Place continues its role as the city's marquee gathering space.