Pacific Coliseum

The white ring of Renfrew

A concrete cylinder and a ring of white panels have marked Hastings Park since Pacific Coliseum opened on January 8, 1968. It was designed by W. K. Noppe with Phillips, Barratt, Hillier, Jones and Partners, in a formalist style, for the Pacific National Exhibition. In Vancouver, it is not referred to as a nightclub: it is called The Coliseum or The Rink on Renfrew, the great ice and concert pavilion in the east of the city.

The rink that brought the NHL

The venue was born for hockey. The WHL's Vancouver Canucks moved in upon opening; the NHL franchise debuted there on October 9, 1970, and stayed until 1995. The 1977 All-Star Game, two Stanley Cup finals (1982 and 1994), and, on September 8, 1972, the fourth game of the Canada-USSR Summit Series were played on that ice. Later came the WHA's Vancouver Blazers, the junior Vancouver Giants (2001-2016)—hosts of the 2007 Memorial Cup, which broke the tournament's attendance record—and, from 2025, the PWHL's Vancouver Goldeneyes, once again as the main tenants.

Arena-scale rock and electronic stadium

Ice was never the building's only language. Jimi Hendrix played on September 7, 1968; Led Zeppelin, The Doors—whose June 6, 1970 concert was released as "Live in Vancouver 1970"—, The Rolling Stones (North American tour kickoff for "Exile on Main St." in 1972), Grateful Dead, George Harrison, Bob Marley, ABBA, KISS, or Pearl Jam filled the same bowl. Pacific Coliseum is not a small-floor club: it is a configurable pavilion for up to 17,500 people (15,713 fixed seats) that, when the lineup calls for it, switches from hockey to stadium electronic music. Its recent or announced programming includes arena electronic tours and parties with Zeds Dead, Alesso, ARMNHMR, Cosmic Gate, Darren Styles, and Timmy Trumpet. In 2017 and 2025, the same floor hosted international League of Legends finals, including the MSI 2025.

Olympic, illuminated, and open by event

Before the 2010 Winter Olympics, accessibility, climate control, and the rink were renovated: it hosted figure skating and short track speed skating. In 2023, the historic center scoreboard was removed and video was added to the north end; that same year, a $2.6 million LED project tinted the facade with color, from sunset until 23:00. Still standing are 14 suites, a fairground floor, tour loading docks, and a schedule that is not that of a resident nightclub: it opens when there is an event. For club culture, the useful fact is this: a 1968 coliseum, still active, where electronic music enters with arena production, not with a fixed club sound system.