Vancouver, BC – Today, at the official sod turning ceremony to celebrate the highly anticipated new PNE amphitheatre, PNE President and CEO Shelley Frost was joined by BC Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Lana Popham, Vancouver Mayor Kim Sim, Councillor Wilson Williams of the Squamish First Nation and Pierre Karl Peladeau, President and CEO, Quebecor as well as local officials and tourism and business leaders at a celebration to announce 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.”

“UNITE Partnerships has been instrumental to the PNE’s partnership with Freedom Mobile, our new amphitheatre Naming Rights Partner and long-term corporate sponsor.” says Karen Massicotte, VP Sales, Marketing, and Business Development at the PNE. “Their leadership and best-in-class approach to sponsorship marketing continues to be a key factor in the PNE’s success with corporate partnerships”.

“This partnership is exceptional and we’re proud to be part of the historic announcement,” says Garnet Nelson, Co-Founder and Managing Director of UNITE Partnerships Inc., who worked closely with both organizations to pull the pieces of the partnership together. “The collaboration between Freedom Mobile and the PNE will engage the community and create a meaningful positive social impact – while the spectacular new venue itself will be a statement piece for Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada for years to come”.

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 Peladeau, 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 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.” 

PUBLIC TO SELECT NAME OF NEW VENUE

For 114 years the PNE has been a place where British Columbians have come to create collective memories, many of those centered around music and culture. As the new amphitheatre is anticipated to be a hub for similar experiences for generations of British Columbians into the future, Freedom Mobile has decided to engage the people of BC in selecting the official new name for the venue. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite name at PNE.ca/poll. The poll is live now and will be open for voting until 5pm June 7th. The new name will be revealed following the public vote.

NEW VENUE TO SHOWCASE BRITISH COLUMBIA AND CANADA

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. 

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.

About the PNE

Owned by the City of Vancouver, the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) is a healthy and vibrant non-profit organization dedicated to delivering over 3 million visitors a year with memorable experiences through access to first-class cultural, music, sporting, and family entertainment events, as well as access to public space for passive recreation. Founded in 1910, the PNE’s home is Hastings Park, a multi-facility venue in Vancouver where the organization manages four activity streams: the annual PNE Fair, Playland Amusement Park, Park Care and Facility Maintenance and an expansive portfolio of year-round events. All revenues generated are invested back into park space, community programs and non-revenue generating educational and entertainment experiences.

About Freedom Mobile

Freedom Mobile Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Videotron Ltd., is a Canadian wireless service provider committed to affordability, innovation and customer satisfaction in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. With a combined total of more than 3.5 million mobile customers, Freedom Mobile and Videotron form a strong, highly competitive Canadian wireless provider.

For more information about how to get involved as a sponsor, please reach out to us at hello@unitepartnerships.com