2024 Grey Cup and Festival bolstered BC economy by $50.8 million

The 111th Grey Cup, held in Vancouver in 2024, generated $121.9 million in economic impact. It is the highest economic total generated from a Grey Cup in over a decade, accoring to a summary report from Sport Tourism Canada.

As Canada’s largest single-day sporting event, the 2024 Grey Cup generated $45.6 million in visitor spending, starkly overshooting the $19.3 million in operational costs. Overall the event contributed a $50.8 million boost to the B.C. economy.

Of the 547,698 people in attendance over the course of the six-day festival, 53,365 came from out of town. According to the report, 96 per cent of those who came from out of town stayed overnight, with 65 per cent staying in local hotels and motels. Nearly $18.5 million was spent on accommodations.

Restaurants also revelled in the boost with over $10.5 million spent on eating out during the festival.

“It was truly incredible to see the entire city light up and beam with pride over our great game,” outgoing CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie, said in a press release. “From the cheers in the stands and the joy in the streets, to the shouts of excitement from ziplines everywhere – fans from every corner of our amazing country came together and had a celebration for the ages.”

The Jonas Borthers headlined the halftime performance drawing near 4.25 million viewers.

Despite the glitz and glamour, everyday Vancouverites also experienced benefits from the festival. The Festival supported 615 local jobs, of which 583 jobs and over $30.1 million in wages and salaries were supported locally. An additional 800 volunteers supported the planning and delivery of Grey Cup week.

“The magnificent staging of the 111th Grey Cup and Festival is a tribute to our staff, partners and the hundreds of volunteers who made the week a special endeavour for the City of Vancouver and Canadian Football League,” BC Lions President Duane Vienneau said in a release. “When we were first awarded the game in November 2022, our owner Amar Doman made it his mission to give CFL fans from coast to coast a party they won’t soon forget. We’re very proud to have hosted a highly successful Grey Cup in Vancouver for the entire CFL family.”

For those who couldn’t make it to Vancouver, the show was jsut as spectacular.

The Grey Cup was one of the biggest television events in Canada in 2024 with 9.9 million Canadians turning in for at least part of the game. That is an 11 per cent increase over the 2023 event. Gameday content also saw a 19 per cent increase in cideo views and a nine per cent increase in social media interactions across all platforms.

The 2024 Grey Cup and Festival was also recognized as Sport Tourism Canada’s PRESTIGE Award as Canada’s Marquee Sporting Event of the Year.