Saturday, March 15, 2025
At the official sod turning ceremony to celebrate the highly anticipated new PNE amphitheatre, PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost announced the venue’s new naming rights partner.
“Today, following an extensive nationwide call for proposals, we welcome Freedom Mobile as the naming rights partner for our spectacular new outdoor covered music venue,” said Shelley Frost. “This partnership brings together two organizations who are both clearly committed to being the home of incredible experiences for Vancouverites, British Columbians and guests from around the world.”
The 12-year agreement includes a number of additional elements with support not only for the amphitheatre, which is anticipated to open in 2026, but beginning in 2024 a partnership on some of the PNE’s most beloved properties including the annual summer Fair and the PNE’s extremely popular Halloween event, Fright Nights.
“Having the Freedom Mobile name displayed so prominently on a venue as iconic as the PNE amphitheatre is a source of great pride,” said Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor, Freedom Mobile’s parent company. “We consider ourselves privileged to be a part of this journey and to have the opportunity to contribute to the PNE’s status as a must-see destination for artists and lovers of music, theatre, comedy and all forms of live arts and entertainment. Our long-term partnership demonstrates our commitment to further solidify Freedom Mobile’s position as a major national telecom player and to stimulate competitive activity in the BC market.”
BC Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Lana Popham noted that the project is an important part of BC’s tourism infrastructure. “For decades the PNE amphitheatre has entertained British Columbians and visitors from around the world, attracting iconic performers and creating memorable experiences for a generation of concert goers. We can’t wait for the new state-of-the-art amphitheatre to entertain hundreds of thousands of people each year, ensuring the PNE continues to be a premier destination for live entertainment that brings visitors back, again and again.”
The amphitheatre project, which has been in the planning stages for several years, is anticipated to be one of the most spectacular venues of its kind on the West Coast of North America when completed in 2026. The project will be designed to showcase British Columbian and Canadian building products and engineering while adhering to the highest standards of environmental sustainability.
“The amphitheatre will undoubtedly become a hub of entertainment in Vancouver, promising to be one of the most remarkable venues on the entire West Coast of North America once it’s completed. Today marks just the beginning of this exciting journey,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “We are proud to bring on Freedom Mobile as the naming rights partner. This is just the start of the work we are undertaking to be bolder and more creative to generate revenue for the City.”
When complete, the venue will be used to host a wide variety of music and culture events – ranging from the incredibly popular Summer Night Concerts at the PNE Fair, to arts and culture performances by symphony’s, cultural innovators, community organizations and others. With the beautiful BC mountains in the background, the venues clear-span wood roof is not only striking but also engineered to act as a significant sound barrier to mitigate noise bleed into the surrounding community.
Designed by renowned Vancouver-based architecture company Revery Architecture, construction on the amphitheatre is anticipated to be complete in summer 2026.
One of the most spectacular elements of the design is the roof structure, which, when completed will be longer than the roof of the Richmond Oval and one of the longest clear-span roofs in the world.
Featured image: (L-R) Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, Vancouver Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung, PNE CEO Shelley Frost, Quebecor President and CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau, Squamish Nation Elected Councilor Wilson Williams, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport of British Columbia Lana Popham. (PNE)
