Port Moody punts FIFA viewing plans over six-figure price tag and policing pressures

Port Moody has decided to sit out hosting public FIFA World Cup viewing events in 2026 after councillors balked at steep cost estimates.

Council decided not to proceed with any formal viewing parties on Oct. 14, despite earlier plans to host up to 10 community events during next summer’s World Cup.

Mayor Meghan Lahti, who introduced the idea back in June, described the expenses as “staggering.”

“This is a bigger deal than I think any of us, myself included, really anticipated with regard to the amount of money that this is already going to cost the city,” she said. “I think that this is probably not something that we should be doing.”

The price tag varied widely depending on how ambitious the city wanted to be – but even the cheapest scenario would cost well over $100,000 when combined with policing costs.

Council was shocked to learn that even if the city chooses not to host any events, they could expect a minimum $90,000 bill from the Port Moody Police Department due to overtime requirements to handle the expected inflow of crowds.

Staff presented council with four main options, each offered in three scales (10, 5, or 3 games), and ranging from large outdoor fan zones to small indoor screenings.

• Rocky Point Park fan zone: A large outdoor gathering space with a big LED screen and family activities, costing up to $327,000 for 10 events or $140,000 for three.
• Large tented venue: A more contained 250-person event space, still costing as much as $355,000 for 10 events and $124,500 for three.
• City Hall amphitheatre: A mid-range outdoor option costing roughly $219,000 for 10 games or $90,000 for three.
• Curling rink watch parties: The most modest plan, costing about $134,000 for 10 events or $45,000 for three.

Staff cautioned that scaling down the number of games would not proportionally reduce costs because many expenses – like licensing, infrastructure, and staffing – are fixed.

Sponsorship opportunities are also limited: FIFA’s “Special Non-Commercial” classification prohibits corporate branding or ticketed entry, meaning the city could not offset costs through sponsorships.

Policing costs and crowd concerns

Insp. Travis Carroll, head of operations for the Port Moody Police Department, told council that law enforcement agencies across Metro Vancouver are already planning for “extremely large crowds and celebrations” throughout the 39-day tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Carroll said the city expects a surge in foot traffic in key gathering areas such as Brewery Row and Rocky Point Park, which are easily accessible by SkyTrain and major roads. 

While police plan to deploy “dedicated but scalable resources” to ensure safety, maintaining core services will require overtime staffing.

“Internationally, World Cup events draw large contingents of team supporters and fans from all over the world into the host venues,” Carroll said. “There are well-known examples of large-scale political protests and fan violence in and around FIFA events, as recently as Paris in 2025.”

Sticker shock for council

The policing price tag was a wake-up call for many councillors.

Coun. Kyla Knowles, who chairs the finance committee, said the city was already facing a “very tough budget” and could not justify spending on a “nice-to-have” event.

“There’s going to be plenty of opportunities to watch games in neighbouring communities, in fan zones, in bars and pubs. I just don’t see the need,” she said. “I don’t understand why we would take on the cost or the risk.”

Lahti added it was unfortunate there were no external funding options for grants from higher levels of government.

“It’s too bad that we weren’t able to bring this up at UBCM as a concern for provincial funding,” she said. “If there’s an estimation of $90,000 for policing – it’s going to be higher.”

Coun. Amy Lubik said the unavoidable policing costs were “hard to handle,” while Coun. Haven Lurbiecki – who initially suggested community engagement to gauge public interest – ultimately concluded that she was “less and less comfortable even moving forward.”

While Couns. Samantha Agatap and Callan Morrison acknowledged the social benefits of shared viewing experiences around national sporting events, neither were in favour of moving forward.

Morrison warned that a city-run fan zone could undercut local restaurants and pubs, which stand to benefit from increased patronage during the tournament.

“I think our local businesses need every opportunity they can to show the games and get people excited,” he said. “It has the ability to boost a lot of bottom lines for a lot of our local restaurants and businesses that are struggling.”

Bigger cities, bigger plans

While Port Moody is stepping back, larger neighbouring cities are gearing up for the tournament. Coquitlam, Burnaby, and Richmond are all planning large-scale fan zones, with some venues expected to attract thousands of people per match.

With no clear funding source and unavoidable policing costs already pushing the city’s FIFA tab close to six figures, council opted to drop the idea altogether, and let private businesses and nearby cities carry the torch for World Cup festivities next summer.