SeaBus and buses get World Cup makeover
TransLink's ferry and bus fleet sport tournament branding as the city preps for five weeks of packed transit.
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One of Vancouver's four SeaBus ferries now floats past Waterfront Station and Lonsdale Quay wrapped in a vision of a packed soccer stadium.
The Burrard Otter II, built in 2014, has been wrapped in Vancouver's official FIFA World Cup branding—tournament logo, colours, and thousands of cheering supporters in purple imagery stretching across its hull. The lower portion carries the official tournament badge. The effect is a ferry that looks like a stadium on the water.
It's part of a broader transit push. TransLink's seven SoccerBus vehicles already circulate across Metro Vancouver routes with soccer-themed exterior livery and giant soccer balls at the front. One two-car Millennium Line SkyTrain train also received the same tournament wrap.
The Soccer SeaBus and SoccerBus fleet will keep their special livery through the end of summer. Hullo Ferries also wrapped one of its high-speed ferry vessels operating between Downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo with official World Cup branding.
Practically, TransLink is shifting into full World Cup operations mode beginning early next week. That means greatly enhanced frequency and capacity across SkyTrain, buses, SeaBus, and West Coast Express. Several new temporary bus services will launch to accommodate the surge. Expect road closures and route detours, especially to Hastings Park (the fan festival hub).
The visual transformation is unmissable. Riders already report significant FIFA World Cup decorations and wayfinding at select SkyTrain stations across Vancouver. The whole system is broadcasting: five weeks of soccer are coming, and the city is ready.