By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer
Dragon boating in Vancouver is a significant part of the city’s history, dating back to 1986. The first dragon boat races were held at Expo 86, a celebration of the 100th year of Vancouver’s official colonial formation via the Vancouver Incorporation Act of 1886. The popularity of dragon boating within Chinese communities and beyond at the Expo catapulted the formation of the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society (CIDBFS), who host the annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival.
This year, one historical event will take precedence over another, as the 38th annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival will be cancelled to make room for the FIFA World Cup games in Vancouver. However, a smaller event, the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Summer Regatta, will be held on August 22.
The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival is the largest festival of its kind in North America and typically takes place in June over the course of three days. The festival, which is considered “one of the world’s most prestigious [dragon boat] races,” hosted 250 local and international teams, with more than 6,000 dragon boaters competing in the 2024 races alone. The 2024 games reportedly drew an audience of 150,000 people from all over.
The FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Vancouver and 15 other North American cities from June 11 to July 19, requires strict security measures to host matches at BC Place. According to a CBC interview with Dominic Lai, Dragon Boat BC senior director, these security needs conflict with the dragon boat festival, which takes place directly across False Creek.
“When FIFA rolls into town, they have their own security and operational needs . . . there wasn’t really a way that they could fit us into the mix of things.”
— Dominic Lai, Dragon Boat BC senior director
The Peak corresponded with Vancouver’s ministry of tourism, arts, culture, and sport to learn more about this shift.
“The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival is an important annual event that highlights Vancouver’s natural beauty and cultural diversity. The province has been a strong supporter of the CIDBFS and its events for many years because of the important cultural, tourism, and economic benefits it generates. CIDBFS has received close to $1.8 million in funding from the province since 2018–19,” they shared.
The dragon boat race’s cancellation is among a slew of historic public events that have faced issues in the city over the past couple of years. The Celebration of Light fireworks festival was cancelled this year, while the Vancouver Pride Parade was forced to downsize last year, both as a result of budget constraints.
Other dragon boat races have been affected, with FreshCo Richmond Dragon Boat Festival being postponed until early September from its usual August timeline in order to accommodate the substitute regatta race.
The Concord Pacific event organizers emphasized that the relevant changes were a result of “collaborative discussions with public and private partners” and they hope the changes help to show “the best of BC communities, while welcoming participants from around the world.”
Despite the downsizing of the event this year, the ministry expressed the desire for the festival to return “bigger and more vibrant than ever in 2027.” The minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport, Anne Kang, further added in a press release that “events like these exemplify the culture and spirit of British Columbia, and we are proud to support the organizers who make our communities vibrant and bring people together.”
