Sod, sand, lawnmowers and lights: PavCo’s World Cup spending spree
NDP earmarked nearly $200 million for World Cup renovations, operations at B.C. Place Stadium
B.C. Place Stadium’s pitch for FIFA World Cup 26 will be a “hybrid sod” synthetic fibre reinforced natural grass surface, according to tendering documents from B.C. Pavilion Corp. (PavCo).
The Crown corporation published the call on Jan. 8, with a Feb. 4 deadline for bids. It wants the hybrid sod planted by May 5 and delivered to B.C. Place a year later, in May 2026.
The first of seven World Cup matches in Vancouver is June 13, 2026.
“It is crucial that the turf not only meets FIFA’s specifications for performance but also maintains an impeccable visual aesthetic, ensuring a pristine playing surface throughout the duration of the tournament,” the document said.
The contractor will install, grow, maintain, harvest and transport 8,200 square metres of sand-based sod grown on a synthetic turf carpet on plastic sheeting to the stadium. It will also install, grow and maintain another 3,300 square metres of contingency hybrid sod, which is 95% natural grass and 5% synthetic fibres.
A regulation FIFA pitch of 105 metres by 68 metres is 7,140 square metres in area, so the amount of sod PavCo is ordering represents approximately one-and-a-half pitches. That indicates FIFA has backed-off its requirement for a full back-up pitch.
PavCo also requires 80 tonnes of sand for the pitch.
Separately, it is ordering seven lawn mowers. It wants a supplier that has provided grass cutters to stadiums that have hosted FIFA World Cup, UEFA or CONCACAF events. Delivery deadline is May 15.
Meanwhile, PavCo posted a Dec. 11 notice that it gave a $556,272 contract to Musco Sports Lighting LLC for 76 of its Total Light Control (TLC-LED-1500) luminaires and associated equipment and accessories. FIFA demands a system brighter than the one installed in 2011.
PavCo is also mulling bids to replace the video screens on the centre-hung scoreboard and submissions from companies interested in supplying cyber monitoring, detection and response systems.
Last April, the NDP government said it would spend $149 million to $196 million on B.C. Place renovations and operations for FIFA 26. The full cost to taxpayers could be $581 million — or $83 million per match.