The Pacific National Exhibition has announced it will formally seek corporate partners for naming rights to two of Vancouver's most historic venues: the Pacific Coliseum and the PNE Agrodome.
Historic Venues with Iconic Legacies
These legendary Vancouver venues have hosted some of the most memorable events in Canadian entertainment history. The Pacific Coliseum witnessed rock legends Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix perform in 1968, while legendary boxer Muhammad Ali once fought under its roof. Meanwhile, the Agrodome gained cinematic fame as the Soviet arena where Rocky Balboa battled Ivan Drago in the classic film Rocky IV.
The Coliseum, with a capacity of approximately 17,500, currently serves as home to the Vancouver Goldeneyes of the Professional Women's Hockey League. It previously housed the Vancouver Canucks from 1970 to 1995 and hosted figure skating and speedskating during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Financial Strategy and Current Operations
The PNE's decision comes as the organization continues to recover from financial challenges, including the two-year COVID cancellation of its annual summer fair and the loss of its Pacific Coliseum anchor tenant, the Vancouver Giants.
Recent financial reports show the PNE is making a strong recovery. In 2023, the organization reported $71.5 million in revenue, representing a significant rebound from pandemic years and an increase over its 2019 earnings of $61 million. Facility sales at the Coliseum, Agrodome, and PNE Forum reached $16.3 million in 2023, up from $15.8 million in 2022 and $15.5 million in 2019.
Future Developments and Timeline
The formal request for proposal process will open on January 6, 2026, though interested parties can already register their interest online. Both venues are owned by the City of Vancouver and operated by the PNE, a city-owned non-profit entity.
This naming rights initiative coincides with other major developments at the PNE grounds, including the construction of a new 10,000-seat open-air amphitheatre set to open in June 2026. The new venue will host Vancouver's FIFA World Cup Fan Festival, though the project has faced scrutiny for budget overruns that have nearly tripled the original estimate from $65 million to $183 million.
The Agrodome, with its capacity of about 5,400, currently houses the Vancouver Goldeneyes team offices while remaining available for events and productions.
