Why Vancouver's biggest fair saw its lowest non-pandemic attendance in 2025

In the 21st century, attending at Vancouver's yearbook PNE reasonable has been a great deal the likes of its famed wooden coaster after the first peak — plenty of twists and turns, but ultimately heading in one direction. 

A day after the 2025 Pacific National Exhibition ended, officials said 612,404 guests attended this year.

That's a four per cent decrease from 2024, but also lowest number for the PNE this century — outside 2020-22, when the fair's operations were significantly curtailed due to the pandemic. 

Overall, attendance is down around 40 per cent from its peak in the 1970s to 1990s, when more than a million people would pass through the Hastings Park turnstiles for the combination of rides, attractions, concerts and nostalgia.

PNE spokesperson Laura Ballance said this year's attendance decrease was due to less space for the fair because of the construction of the new amphitheatre, and uncertain economic conditions. 

"We knew going into this fair … that it was going to be a difficult year," she said, adding that overall feedback from people attending was "extremely positive."

The base adult price for PNE admission — not including rides, foods, or other paid attractions — has gone up from $6 to $25 this century. 

The cost of putting on large events across North America continues to grow, Ballance said, noting discounts would be reviewed for next year.

"We're in the early hours of debriefing this fair, but that's something that will obviously be looked at."

The spokesperson said that next year would be a pivotal year for the fair — with the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to bring a fan event and the newly-built amphitheatre.

She also highlighted the imminent arrival this fall of a professional women's hockey team to the Pacific Coliseum, which is located on PNE grounds.

Vancouver author Nick Marino, who wrote a memoir of his relationship with the PNE called East Side Story: Growing Up At The PNE, said attendance was hovering above 600,000 in the last few years — so while the drop is disappointing, it wasn't huge.

Still, the comedian and teacher said the 2025 edition of the fair didn't have a compelling reason for people to attend.

"But there was nothing that I would say to someone, 'Oh, you got to go and see this.'"

He also acknowledged the high prices at this year's fair as a reason for the drop-off in attendance, noting it was about $8 for games like whack-a-mole.

"The nature of these fairs is they're always a bit of a rip-off.... I don't know if I'm just getting old or what, but it seems like too much to me now," he said.

Marino said he thinks the installation of the new 10,000-seat amphitheatre will provide that compelling reason for fairgoers to return in 2026.

"I think we need to to give it a little bit of a pass because of the construction going on," he said of the 2025 fair.

"It's sort of like going to someone's house in the middle of renovations and saying, 'Well, it's not very nice. The kitchen wasn't done,'" he added. "I think when it's all done next year, I think it'll be good."

@j_mcelroy

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