Land and marine event permits

Permitting for special events on port lands and waters

From fireworks to filming, and sailing races to community events, there’s a lot more than trade-related activity happening at the Port of Vancouver.

When a company, group, or individual wants to use port lands or waters as the setting for an event, one of the first things they need to do is reach out to us for an event permit.

We review every application we receive for any safety and operational concerns that must be addressed for the event or procedure to proceed. We also need to ensure port operations will not be impacted, such as shipping, navigation, transportation or other port interests.

We are not able to accommodate every event permitting requests we receive. In some cases, a request may fall outside of our permitting authority, such as when someone wants to film or hold an event at a specific terminal. In those cases, applicants must work with the terminal directly to obtain a permit.

Marine events

Marine event permits are required for certain organized activities that will take place on the waters within the Port of Vancouver. Examples of marine events requiring a port authority permit include:

  • On-water community events and celebrations
  • On-water filming
  • Fireworks (after approval from the nearest municipal fire service and/or confirmation that municipal officials support the event, as required depending on the municipality)
  • Paddle or dragon boat races
  • Sailing races or regattas
  • Yacht club and boating associations events

Applying for a marine event permit

  • To apply for a marine event permit, create an account on the Pacific Gateway Portal and choose Marine Events. The application is free and there is no fee for a marine event permit.
  • Please note that False Creek is not part of our jurisdiction. All event permit enquiries for False Creek should be directed to the City of Vancouver.
  • If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact our Operations Centre at 604.665.9086.

Land events

Any activities that are intended to take place on port lands may require a land event permit. Examples of land events that need a permit include:

  • Filming
  • Special events
  • Short-term parking

Applying for a land event permit

  • Please refer to our Short Term Use Guidelines, which describe event types and the licensing procedures, charges and information required to process an application.
  • Use our Filming, Special Events and Parking Application Form to apply for a permit.
  • If you are interested in using port property that is occupied by a port tenant, please contact the tenant directly to make arrangements. Your use of the occupied property requires that you reach an agreement with the tenant first. The tenant must obtain the port authority’s consent, including all agency and regulatory approvals.
  • If you have any questions about this process, please contact our real estate team at [email protected] or phone 604.665.9196.