ticket and – Ticket prices described as “crazy” and soaring Vancouver hotel costs are pushing some would-be supporters to rethink World Cup plans, even as organisers expect a late hotel surge.
Chris Van Brockhoven booked his trip to Vancouver last summer with one goal in mind: go to a World Cup match. Then the price tag landed, and his group’s plans didn’t just get more expensive — they got harder to justify.
“We were flabbergasted at how expensive the tickets are and how much people are seemingly paying for them,” Van Brockhoven said in an interview.
All four men in his group entered the FIFA selection draws. But when they got the chance to buy about a month ago, Van Brockhoven said the prices were “crazy.” After checking what he could find on social media and resale pages, he said the tickets he has seen are about $2,000 each.
Living in London, England, Van Brockhoven compared it to what that money can buy closer to home. “We’d pay that for a season ticket over here for a top English club. We just can’t justify that sort of spend,” he said.
His frustration is echoing through Vancouver’s wider fan base. Supporters and business experts point to a similar squeeze: tickets are only part of the problem, and accommodation costs have made the trip feel out of reach for many.
Jarrett Vaughan, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder school of business, said cost is “one of the biggest challenges that visitors have when coming to Vancouver.” He argued that the accommodation industry is likely pricing visitors out of the market.
“Hotel accommodations are very expensive in Vancouver no matter what’s happening, and so you then add this layer of visiting guests and this added pressure drives, obviously, room rates higher,” Vaughan said.
For those considering short-term rentals, Vaughan said the barriers can be steep. To become an Airbnb host in Vancouver. the listing must be your principal residence. you must obtain a City of Vancouver short-term rental business licence and register with the province. Vaughan added that the application process is likely a deterrent for many. costing about $1. 200 annually and carrying “significant risk because you might not be able to rent it out.”.
On Facebook, World Cup fan groups are full of people listing homes for rent during the games, sometimes in ways Vaughan described as operating beyond formal channels.
“What people do is they kind of black market or grey market or backdoor the system by renting out your place in exchange for tickets or renting it on Facebook and taking the kind of insurance risk on something like that,” Vaughan said.
He also criticised the approach taken by provincial and local governments. arguing that opening the economy has made the market worse for ordinary visitors. “This is where I think the misstep is from the provincial and local governments is to open up the economy rather than continue to restrict it like they’re doing currently. which is why hotel rates are so high. which is why we’re gonna see fewer visitors than we should because it’s so unaffordable to come here. ” Vaughan said.
Destination Vancouver says June hotel bookings in the city are down 20 per cent this year compared with the same time in 2025. The organisation added in a statement that it remains hopeful bookings will fill up closer to kickoff. “Data is dynamic and we’re optimistic of a late surge. ” it said. pointing to air arrivals to Vancouver between June and August being up six per cent from last year. The British Columbia Hotel Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Across other host cities in the United States. the American Hotel & Lodging Association said it also saw disappointing bookings after surveying hoteliers earlier this month. It “found that anticipated demand has not translated into strong hotel bookings and that domestic travellers are outpacing international visitors. ” with 80 per cent of respondents saying hotel bookings were tracking below initial forecasts.
Even without the debate, the pricing mechanics can be brutal. Luana Carcano. a lecturer at Simon Fraser University Beedie school of business. said “basic economics” suggests hotel prices will not decrease as the tournament nears. “When supply is structurally constrained and demand is event-driven, hotels have no incentive to discount,” she said.
Carcano argued the total bill becomes harder still once ticket costs are included. She said FIFA has significantly raised ticket pricing for this World Cup, describing it as “capturing maximum value from the highest spending fans,” which she said makes business sense but narrows who can attend.
“High prices shift the visitor mix toward wealthier tourists who spend more per day. This is good for premium businesses, but it squeezes out casual fans and the local middle-income family who would have filled seats and supported local businesses,” Carcano said.
Flights and fuel also add to the cost. “The economic implications for Vancouver are layered. Flights are the final straw in an already stacked cost equation,” she said.
Carcano pointed to a trip that can quickly grow out of reach. After hotels that cost upwards of $900 per night, tickets between $500 and $2,700, and a heavily surcharged flight, she said, “the total trip for an international fan easily exceeds $10,000 to $15,000.”
“At that level, this stops being accessible sport tourism, which changes who comes, how long they stay and how broadly the local economy benefits,” Carcano said.
For Van Brockhoven, booking early helped blunt some of the damage. He said his group wasn’t as affected by accommodation costs because they booked almost a year in advance.
“There was plenty available, and I wouldn’t say they were astronomical,” he said. He added that their Airbnb costs will work out to about $125 per night per person for the four members of his group.
Vancouver is one of 16 host cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico for the expanded 48-team tournament running June 11 through July 19. Toronto is hosting six matches. Across the 16 cities, a combined 104 games will be played.
In Vancouver, the impact is personal. Shushan Vardanyan, a mother from Vancouver with a nine-year-old soccer fan, has been trying to find discounted youth tickets so her son can see a match. So far, she hasn’t been able to.
“The prices are crazy,” she said.
“Soccer is an affordable sport. It’s meant to be an accessible sport and it’s also an inspiration and encouragement for young athletes to attend,” Vardanyan said.
Her family booked the vacation around the Vancouver dates in hopes of getting tickets, and she remains optimistic that prices will drop as the tournament approaches. If they don’t, Vardanyan said she and her son will look for other ways to be part of the experience.
For fans without tickets, both Canadian host cities have announced events and activities. In Vancouver, the main event outside the stadium will be the official FIFA Fan Festival at the Pacific National Exhibition. It will feature live match broadcasts and interactive activities. along with cultural programming and a live concert series with artists including Flo Rida. Simple Plan and Arkells.
Van Brockhoven said his group is planning to make the most of the trip with airfare and accommodation already paid for. They’re still holding out hope that ticket prices might drop at the last minute, but they also have tickets for the fan festival.
“The whole reason we’re coming over was to see the football,” he said.
“It’s not going to stop us watching the games and enjoying the atmosphere. We’re just hoping that fan zones are going to be as good as they are in England and other places.”
World Cup Vancouver tickets hotels FIFA Fan Festival Pacific National Exhibition Chris Van Brockhoven Shushan Vardanyan Luana Carcano Jarrett Vaughan Airbnb Canada host cities 48-team tournament