Vancouver’s PNE Forum
The PNE Forum is an indoor exhibition facility on East Hastings Street in Vancouver. It’s an important event space for trade shows and other events.
The PNE Forum is a historic indoor arena located on the grounds of the Pacific National Exhibition. Once a major sports venue, it has since evolved into a flexible event space and remains an important gathering place for large public events in the city.
For the venue’s official website, visit PNE.ca.
PNE Forum Location
The PNE Forum is an indoor exhibition facility at 2901 East Hastings Street in Vancouver. Inside the venue, visitors will find a spacious exhibition floor, tiered seating along the sides, and a versatile layout that can be adapted for various types of trade shows, consumer fairs and ticketed events.
Events at the PNE Forum
Today, the PNE Forum is home to some of the region’s most popular specialty shows, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
These include the Vancouver Comics & Toy Show featuring hundreds of vendors selling comics, collectibles and pop culture merchandise, and the Vancouver Mineral & Gem Show which showcases jewelry, crystals, fossils and hands-on demonstrations.
Seasonal and lifestyle events are also common at the PNE Forum such as the Make It Vancouver Christmas Craft Fair, Harvest Haus Oktoberfest (19+) and the Vancouver edition of the Winter Extreme Ski & Board Swap. The PNE Forum often serves as a market during the PNE Fair in the summer too.
Roller derby and professional wrestling events have also taken place at the venue over the years.
With its long history and continued community use, the PNE Forum remains one of Vancouver’s most recognizable and versatile event spaces.
History of the Venue
After opening in 1931, the building has been known over the years as the Exhibition Forum, Vancouver Forum and PNE Forum. It played a key role in Vancouver’s sports history and served as the city’s premier indoor arena for a number of years after the Denman Arena fire in 1936.
The Forum was home to professional ice hockey teams, including the Vancouver Canucks of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and Western Hockey League from 1945 to 1968. The venue also hosted box lacrosse, figure skating competitions, Ice Capades and Ice Follies as well as boxing events during the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
In the early 1980s, the building was refurbished and transformed from an ice arena into an exhibition and concert space.
Why Visit the PNE Forum?
Whether you’re a comic collector or holiday shopper, events at the PNE Forum in Vancouver offer something special throughout the year. The events combine community, creativity and family fun, making them must-visit gatherings for locals and tourists alike. Over the course of the year, there is something for everyone.
And why use the PNE Forum as a space for your event? Because of its size, layout, available onsite parking, cost and central Metro Vancouver location.
More Information
For full details about the venue, visit the official PNE Forum webpage.
To learn about other venues in the Lower Mainland, see our articles about BC Place Stadium, the Vancouver Convention Centre and TRADEX.
To learn about other events happening throughout the Lower Mainland over the course of the year, see the Festivals & Events page on the VancouversBestPlaces.com website.