Starlight Stadium - BC Lions
- Aaron S. Terry
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Starlight Stadium 1089 Langford Pkwy Victoria, BC V9B 4B4 Canada
Year Opened: 2009 Capacity: 6,000
On the Road at Home
The BC Lions of the Canadian Football League have been making the rounds of their province in the past couple of years, from Touchdown Pacific in Victoria in 2024 to games at Starlight Stadium in nearby Langford (since 2025), as well as games in Kelowna starting in 2026. While BC Place is still the team’s main home venue, their fans have responded well, and traveled, for games in these nearby cities.
Starlight Stadium opened in 2009 and primarily serves as the home stadium for Canadian Premier League soccer’s Pacific FC. The venue is also used by Rugby Canada and by the Westshore Rebels, a junior Canadian football team. The color scheme trends toward purple and white, for Pacific FC, but does include signage showcasing all the teams that play here, including the BC Lions’ orange and black during CFL games here. The facility holds 6,000 fans and has seating along both sidelines, as well as behind one end zone.
Food & Beverage 4
Perhaps not surprising given this is Canada, the beer and alcohol selection has a lot more variety than the food selection when it comes to concessions here, and the food choices are also a little spread out. For example, there is only one tiny concession stand under the press box (south) side, which boasts no main dishes except hot dogs. This almost led me to give a much lower rating for this section, until I found a much larger concession area nestled next to the endline (west) stands, which adds chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, poutine, cheeseburgers, and veggie burgers to the mix. Prices start at 8.50 CAD for the hot dog and go up past 17 CAD for chicken tenders with fries, but you can find chips and candy for around 4 to 5 CAD. Alcohol starts at 9 CAD.
The opposite (north) side doesn’t have any fixed stands, but instead boasts several food trucks serving such items as burritos, gyros, and baked potatoes, with prices starting around 15 CAD for a meal. There is also a VIP area (Gate C at the “hidden” back side of the venue) which adds a few more options for fans who want to make their way to that side.
Atmosphere 4
The VIP area is a lot of fun, with plenty of games for kids and adults; think cornhole, giant Jenga, giant Connect 4, samples from drink vendors, a well-stocked BC Lions team gear store, and even a working water feature. The staff also carries over a lot of traditions from their time at BC Place, including a sing-along, fan contests tossing touchdowns or kicking field goals, and the ever-popular, though no less weird, hot dog toss – these babies are dubbed “mustard powered meat missiles” by the in-game host.
The BC Lions mascot is on hand for selfies and to toss a ball around with the kids, while the BC Lions cheerleaders are there to bring the crowd alive before the home team comes onto the field. The Lions even bring along their inflatable tunnel for the team to run through, flags waving – everything you have come to expect from a major sporting event.
All the seats on the press box and endline sides are also covered, which is a major plus that you don’t see at most sports venues. Fans will be very grateful for this perk, especially during summer days with 2 pm start times, when the sun is already high in the sky, or last year when it rained during the Lions at Langford game.
Neighborhood 4
Langford, BC boasts a population of just over 62K, a 12K increase in the past five years. As such there is plenty of shopping and dining to be found near Starlight Stadium, as well as great views of the water along the beautiful Vancouver Island coastline, only a few miles from the facility.
That said, you really don’t have to drive anywhere at all if you are looking for things to do before or after a Lions game at Starlight Stadium – the venue is right next to Westhills Arena, and there are several restaurants within a few hundred feet of the stadium, as well as a city park, bowling alley, and even a rock-climbing center. The city park serves as sort of an anchor location for all these different entertainment options, making this part of the city a great place for the community to come together.
Fans 4
Starlight Stadium only holds 6,000 fans, but the venue was almost entirely filled, and most fans were decked out in the bright orange of the BC Lions. Fans are there to have a great time, with the cornhole and other games in use throughout the whole game. The team gear stand seemed to do a brisk business as well, and there were lines at the concession stands for a big chunk of the game – the food trucks on the north side had the shortest lines, while the small stand under the press box had the longest lines, if that helps you make your decision.
Access 3
The only potential downside of attending a BC Lions game at Starlight Stadium is getting here – Vancouver Island is exactly that, so the only way to get here is either to fly over, which can be pricey, or ferry over from the mainland if you don’t already live here. The airport is on the north end of the Sannich Peninsula, meaning maybe a 45-minute drive to get to the venue once you land, or a half hour drive from Victoria proper.
Once you get to the facility there is free parking, but the lots closest to the stadium tend to fill up quickly, even if you get there an hour and a half early. The good news is there is additional parking just down the road past the city park, in a commercial shopping center – that area includes mostly non-retail businesses, so you should be able to find an empty space easily enough, and the walk is not far.
Unfortunately you cannot walk freely around the entire venue (the east end is closed off), so if you park near the front of the facility like most people do, you will have to walk all the way around to get to the press box side, and if you want to enter at Gate C, you’ll have to walk up the hill and all the way around using a kind of hiking path along the street behind the stadium. The good news is that you only need Gate C to pick up a VIP pass; if you already have your ticket, you can enter at Gate A or B and get to the far side just by walking around inside the stadium.
Return on Investment 5
Attending a BC Lions game at Starlight Stadium is absolutely worthwhile; tickets start at only $40 for reserved (covered) seats behind the west end zone or on the press box side. Concession prices are typical for sports venues, but that is balanced by the free parking.
This quaint venue has great sightlines, you can get really close to the action, and there are all manner of free activities going on inside, what with the games and promotions, so you can absolutely have a great time here without breaking the bank.
Extras 4
The BC Lions staff does a great job carrying over the traditions from BC Place to Starlight Stadium, so nothing feels like it is missing from the normal CFL game day experience. The smaller venue is also probably a little easier to navigate, so as long as you are willing to cross over the water, you can’t go wrong seeing your favorite team on the road, but really, still at home.
Final thoughts
Vancouver Island is a great place to visit, with great views of the water and fabulous seafood. But more importantly, it is also now home to football – what could be better than that trifecta?
