[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
CFL.ca Staff VANCOUVER – The 111th Grey Cup and Festival was a party the City of Vancouver won’t soon forget, generating $121.9 million in economic impact in a summary released this week by Sport Tourism Canada. This is the highest economic total generated by a Grey Cup in over ten years. The summary revealed Grey Cup Week, including Canada’s largest single-day sporting event in 2024, generated $45.6 million of visitor spending. RELATED » Buy tickets for the 2025 season » View the 2025 CFL Schedule » 111th Grey Cup, 2024 Grey Cup Festival named Marquee Sport Event of the Year » Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates The six-day festival reported a total attendance of 547,698 people with 53,365 coming from out-of-town to bask in the excitement of Grey Cup Week, enjoying events such as the TELUS family zone, Save-On-foods street festival, Coors Light team parties, indoor and outdoor zip lines and a solid lineup of musical entertainment including 54/40, Sam Roberts Band, Bif Naked and a Grey Cup halftime performance from The Jonas Brothers. The 111th Grey Cup and Festival was also recognized with Sport Tourism Canada’s PRESTIGE Award as Canada’s Marquee Sporting Event of the Year. Full report: Economic Impact Assessment of 111th Grey Cup ADDITIONAL FIGURES 90,399 individuals were reported to attend an average of 2.9 days and 4.7 different events. 96 per cent of out-of-town attendees stayed overnight in the city during their stay with 65 per cent of those fans staying in hotels/motels. 615 local jobs supported the Festival, of which 583 jobs and over $30.1 million in wages and salaries were supported locally. 800 volunteers supported in the planning and delivery of Grey Cup Week. NEED TO KNOW: 111TH GREY CUP One of the biggest television events in Canada in 2024 with 9.9 million Canadians tuning in for at least part of the Grey Cup on TSN or RDS – an increase of 11 per cent over last year. Approximately 12,000 editorial mentions during Grey Cup Week (November 9-18), reaching a total of 13.2 billion people and resulting in a total Advertising Value Equivalency of US $81.6 million. Grey Cup Gameday content saw a 19 per cent increase in video views and a 9 per cent uptick in social media interactions across all platforms. The Toronto Argonauts’ victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers was witnessed by 52,349 fans in attendance at BC Place. The Jonas Brothers headlined the Grey Cup Halftime Show, drawing an average audience of 4.25 million viewers for their performance. QUOTES “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. 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.” – BC Lions President, Duane Vienneau “Congratulations to Amar Doman, the BC Lions organization, all of our tremendous partners and the many volunteers who had a hand in bringing the 111th Grey Cup to life. It was truly incredible to see the entire city light up and beam with pride over our great game. 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.” – 14th CFL Commissioner, Randy Ambrosie “It was an incredible honour for Vancouver to host the 111th Grey Cup and welcome fans from across the country. The Grey Cup Festival had everything from ziplines and live music to local vendors, and it brought an amazing energy to our city. With more than 50,000 visitors, it gave a big boost to our local economy and put Vancouver in the national spotlight. A huge congratulations to the BC Lions and the entire organizing team. You’ve truly raised the bar for how we celebrate and bring people together in our city.” – Vancouver Mayor, Ken Sim “Hosting the 111th Grey Cup and Grey Cup Festival brought tens of thousands of people to our beautiful province and showcased the very best of BC. We are proud to have supported this incredible celebration of Canadian football, which not only energized our local economy but also united people from across the country. The success of the 2024 Grey Cup demonstrates the power of sport to bring people together and drive meaningful economic impacts for our region.” – Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, Spencer Chandra Herbert “Hosting the 111th Grey Cup and Festival was a landmark moment for Vancouver. We set out to deliver the greatest Grey Cup Festival ever—and in a typically quiet month, the city came alive. Street parties, live music, and Canada’s largest-ever drone show turned November into a celebration. The influx of fans boosted our economy and proved once again that Vancouver is built to host top tier events—and raise the bar while doing it.” – Destination Vancouver President and CEO, Royce Chwin Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.
Leave feedback about this