Swangard Stadium Burnaby: Getting There and Event Planning

Swangard Stadium is at 6100 Boundary Road in Burnaby, in the northwest corner of Central Park. The City describes it as a multi-purpose venue for soccer, rugby, football, track and field, tournaments, concerts and festivals.

Its natural-grass field is set up for several sports: it measures 68 m × 105 m for soccer, 60 m × 130 m for football and 68 m × 120 m for rugby.

The stadium has an eight-lane, 400-metre Olympic-regulation oval track. When the stadium is open, the public may use the track, though event bookings can close it. Swangard’s rental capacity is 4,500 seats plus bleacher seats, and its facilities include a press box, VIP lounge, field lights, LED scoreboard, sound system and four dressing rooms with showers.

Swangard officially opened on April 26, 1969, as an amateur-sports stadium in Burnaby’s Central Park. It is named for sports journalist Erwin Swangard, who raised almost $1 million toward its construction between 1964 and 1967. The Central Park Committee managed the stadium until 1977, when management and operation of the park, including Swangard, passed to the Municipality of Burnaby.

Staying at Vancouver Backpacker House - 10 min walk to Metrotown skytrain station puts the stadium about a 28-minute walk away. As you plan time nearby, the guide to Central Park parking in Burnaby is useful for park-related information.

Patterson SkyTrain station is a short walk from Swangard Stadium. For a transit route from your starting point, use TransLink’s Trip Planner; the City recommends it for travel planning. The City’s event information does not establish a general event-day timetable, so check the route and service details that apply to your own trip.

If you’re choosing between local sports venues or planning another stop, the Bill Copeland Sports Centre guide covers a separate Burnaby facility. Swangard itself combines field sports and track use with a venue setup for tournaments, concerts and festivals, so the event type can affect how the stadium is being used when you arrive.

Swangard Stadium does not sell tickets or passes for every event. Ticket availability, prices and entry arrangements depend on the organizer, so go to that event’s official ticketing channel for the details. Don’t assume the stadium’s general track access means the venue will be open to the public on an event day.

The City lists weekday facility hours as Monday–Friday, 7:30 am–2:30 pm, and says the facility is closed for events and statutory holidays. Event bookings can also close the oval track to public use. Before you go, check the official site of the City of Burnaby for facility hours, bookings and event information.

Several recurring events illustrate the venue’s range. The Harry Jerome Classic is an annual track-and-field meet at Swangard; the event organizer says it has hosted elite athletes annually since 1984.

The meet began in 1964, when Harry Jerome used it to prepare for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics 100-metre event. The City also hosts Canada Day celebrations at Swangard every year, with concerts, fireworks and festival activities. Check the relevant organizer for the schedule and event-specific arrangements.

Swangard has also hosted major soccer matches. Vancouver Whitecaps FC moved there in 1987, and its first match at the stadium was played on June 7 that year.

The club played at Swangard for 24 years and recorded 233 wins, 67 losses and 60 draws there, according to its 2010 account. The stadium hosted matches in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

The City lists free parking at the lot on Boundary Road and 47th Avenue and at the east lot, accessible from Kingsway. Designated parking is spread across several locations: the main lot accessed from Kingsway near Smith Avenue has one stall, the Central Park Playground lot has ten, and the swimming pool lot, accessed from Boundary Road at 46th Avenue, has two. Additional designated stalls in the VIP lot south of the stadium are available only by prior arrangement.

An asphalt path connects the main parking area to the stadium’s main entrance gate, about 300 metres away. The swimming-pool lot also has an asphalt path to the gate.

When choosing where to park, factor in the walk from the lot and check which locations suit your needs. Arriving with time to locate the correct lot and follow the path can make the approach more straightforward, particularly when event arrangements affect access.

The main entrance gate and concession stand are accessible. Accessible spectator viewing positions are in sections C and D, reached by an access ramp that the City describes as very steep.

Main-level washrooms and change rooms are accessible, but the washrooms inside the change rooms are not wheelchair accessible. If you need specific access details for an event, confirm them with the organizer before setting out.

Concession stands provide general food service. Trained service dogs are allowed at the stadium; other dogs are not. For a visit centered on a booked sports event, concert or festival, check what facilities and entry arrangements are available for that occasion rather than relying on the stadium’s general facility information alone.