Olympic Cauldron

During Vancouver’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2010 there were two Olympic torch cauldrons in the city, including this one by the Convention Centre.

One was indoors at BC Place Stadium and the other was downtown outside by the Vancouver Convention Centre. Although no longer still lit, the Olympic Cauldron at the Convention Centre still exists and is available for viewing.

2026 OLYMPICS & TEAM CANADA FANFEST

Team Canada FanFest is a series of free, fan-focused events during the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games which run from February 6th to 22nd in 2026. FanFest events happen on different dates in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The event in Vancouver takes place at Jack Poole Plaza on the Sunday and Monday of February 15th and 16th. Admission is free.

What happens at Team Canada FanFest? You can watch Canada compete at the Olympics in Italy on a giant screen. There are also winter sport demonstrations and a variety of other family-friendly activities which run from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm on both days.

For the event schedule, see the Team Canada FanFest Event Guide.

The 2010 Olympic Cauldron

The Olympic Cauldron today is actually more interesting to look at than it was in 2010, despite the fact that it is no longer lit (except on very special occasions). During the Olympics it was surrounded by a chain-link fence, for security reasons, which made it not such a great place for photos.

From the Olympic Cauldron you can walk and cycle around the Convention Centre to Canada Place, or in the opposite direction along the seawall through beautiful Coal Harbour toward Stanley Park. Views of both the city and North Shore mountains from the area are amazing.

Where is the Olympic Cauldron?

The Vancouver Olympic Cauldron is at Jack Poole Plaza in downtown Vancouver. It’s beside the Vancouver Convention Centre at 1085 Canada Place, between where Thurlow and Burrard Streets end at the Vancouver waterfront.

From Waterfront Station, head west to Canada Place, then past the Convention Centre. The Olympic Cauldron is at the far side of the Convention Centre, just before the steps down to the seawall at Coal Harbour.

Jack Poole Plaza Orca Whale Sculpture

Jack Poole Plaza

Jack Poole Plaza is the large open plaza at the western side of the Vancouver Convention Centre. Events sometime take place there. In 2021, for example, the Art Downtown program takes place on Wednesdays and Fridays in the summer. On those days local artists set up their art in the plaza.

From late November until December 24th, the Vancouver Christmas Market also sets up in the area.

Music and Art at Jack Poole Plaza

Places to Eat Near the Cauldron

Looking for a great place to eat, have a snack or enjoy a drink? Restaurants to check out include the Cactus Club right beside the Olympic Cauldron, Mahony & Sons on the other side of the Convention Centre, or Miku, an excellent Japanese restaurant on the other side of Canada Place. A good pub-style place with a nice patio is Tap and Barrel.