Where to Watch Live Sports in Squamish: Big Screens, Full Sound and a Proper Crowd

There are some games you can watch at home. Then there are the ones that need a room full of people.

The Backyard has become one of Squamish's go-to gathering places for live sports, especially when the game is big enough to bring the whole town together. We have six screens in total, including a 140-inch projector, dedicated sound and clear sightlines throughout the pub. More importantly, we have a crowd that cares.

You can join us for soccer, rugby, hockey, NFL football and major international events throughout the year. Some afternoons are relaxed, with a game on while people have lunch. Others are standing-room-only, full-sound occasions where every chance, tackle and questionable call gets a reaction from the whole room.

We are sports-friendly rather than sports-only. The Backyard is still a neighbourhood pub where people come for dinner, trivia, live music and time with friends. But when a big game is on, we know how to give it the room it deserves.

A sports bar in Squamish where you can actually see the game

A sports pub needs more than a television mounted somewhere near the ceiling.

The Backyard has six screens in total, including three large 80-inch televisions, two screens above the bar and a 140-inch projector for the main event. The screens are positioned so that you can follow the action from throughout the room, rather than spending the whole game leaning around the person at the next table.

For featured games, our dedicated audio system puts the commentary through the pub. That matters. A big match feels different when you can hear the build-up, the crowd and the call, rather than trying to piece together what happened from the replay.

For the largest events, the projector becomes the centre of the room, with the other screens keeping the game visible from different sections of the pub. Whether you are sitting at the bar, sharing a table with friends or tucked into a corner, you should not have to miss the important bit.

The crowd is part of the game

Screens and sound make a good setup. The people in the room make a proper game day.

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, The Backyard showed every match. Over six weeks, the pub became a meeting place for supporters from Squamish and well beyond it. People arrived in different shirts, shared tables with strangers and planned their week around kickoff times. Some games brought nerves, some brought celebrations and some brought the sort of collective groan that needs no translation.

The Canada-USA men's hockey gold-medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics had that same feeling. The match went to overtime, and the whole room seemed to react as one to every rush, save and near miss. It was tense, loud and much better shared.

Those days helped confirm something we had already started to feel: The Backyard has become a place where Squamish sports fans look for one another when the big games arrive.

We are proud of that. Not because we want to claim every television in town, but because a neighbourhood pub is at its best when it gives people somewhere to gather for the moments they will remember.

Soccer and major international tournaments

Soccer has produced some of the biggest crowds we have ever welcomed through the doors.

We show featured international matches, major tournament games and selected club fixtures, with full sound for the games we are building the day around. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, that meant every match, early openings for select kickoffs and a pub full of supporters following teams from across the world.

For upcoming World Cups, European Championships, Copa América, Champions League fixtures and major Canada matches, check our current event listings. The schedule changes with kickoff times and broadcast availability, so we announce featured games individually rather than pretending every match will always be on.

If there is a particular fixture you are hoping to watch, get in touch ahead of time. When the schedule and broadcast allow, we will always see what we can do.

Rugby in a town that knows the game

Rugby has a real home at The Backyard.

We show major international tests and tournaments, including Rugby World Cups, the Six Nations and important Canada matches when they are available. You will often find people in the room who play locally, coach locally or have spent enough years around the game to offer a very confident opinion about the referee.

The pub's connection to local rugby means these are rarely anonymous crowds. Teammates meet after training, supporters gather for early kickoffs and people who would normally be on opposite sides of the field end up sharing a table.

For the biggest rugby fixtures, we post the date, kickoff time, sound details and any adjusted opening time in advance.

Hockey with the sound on when it matters

In Canada, some games simply belong on a big screen.

The Backyard shows featured NHL games, playoff matchups, international hockey and major medal games. When the whole room has come for the same game, we put the commentary through the dedicated sound system and let the night feel like a night.

That does not mean every regular-season game turns the pub upside down. Often, hockey is simply on while people eat, talk and keep an eye on the score. When it is a playoff decider, a rivalry game or Canada playing for a medal, the atmosphere changes naturally.

We will always make that clear in our event posts so you know whether you are coming down for a relaxed game over dinner or a louder full-room watch party.

NFL football and the games people build a Sunday around

Football Sundays suit a neighbourhood pub.

There is time to settle in, order food, follow more than one matchup and argue over a fantasy lineup that looked much better on Thursday. We show NFL football through the season, with the biggest games and the Super Bowl getting the main-screen and full-sound treatment.

With several screens around the room, we can sometimes show more than one game at once. The featured event will take priority, and what we can show depends on the broadcast schedule, so contact us ahead of time if there is a specific matchup your group wants to see.

Sports-friendly, not sports-only

We love what happens to the pub during a major game, but The Backyard is not a room that only makes sense if you know the score.

On an ordinary day, sport sits alongside everything else that makes the pub feel like a local. People come for lunch, family dinners, weekend brunch, trivia, free live music and a table on our year-round patio. You can be invested in every play, casually keeping an eye on the screen or not particularly interested in the game at all.

When a major event is likely to take over the room, we say so in advance. Some featured games bring full sound, a busier layout or bar service, while regular service continues for most everyday fixtures. That way, sports fans know when to arrive ready for a crowd, and everyone else knows what kind of afternoon or evening to expect.

That balance matters to us. We want The Backyard to be one of the best places to watch sports in Squamish without losing what makes it a neighbourhood pub the rest of the week.

Food, local taps and a full pub menu

A two-hour match is a long time to pretend a packet of chips counts as dinner.

The Backyard serves a full pub menu with burgers, wings, pizza, poutine, bowls, salads and plenty of shareable options. We also have vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices, a kids' menu, local taps, cocktails, mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.

Food service and menu availability can change for exceptionally busy events. During major watch parties, we may use a reduced menu or bar service to keep the room moving. If anything will work differently for a featured game, we will include it in the event details.

View The Backyard's current food and drink menus.

Planning to watch a game at The Backyard

The Backyard is located at 1907 Maple Drive in Valleycliffe, a few minutes from downtown Squamish.

For regular games, come in, find a table and settle down. For major tournaments, medal games, finals and other high-interest events, check the individual event post before arriving. We use those posts to confirm:

• The game and kickoff or puck-drop time

• Whether we are opening early

• Whether full sound will be on

• Whether regular table service or bar service will be running

• Whether seating is walk-in or another arrangement applies

The biggest games can fill the pub, and we do not always take reservations during special sporting events. Arriving early is usually the best plan, but check the specific event details because every game is a little different.

Follow @thebackyardsquamish on Instagram or check The Backyard's website for upcoming sports viewings.

Watch the next big game in Squamish

The best sports nights at The Backyard are not really about having the most screens, although six certainly helps. They are about looking around after a goal, a try or an overtime winner and realizing the whole room is on its feet with you.

That is what we saw during the World Cup. It is what filled the room for the Olympic hockey final. And it is why more sports fans now think of The Backyard when they are deciding where to watch a game in Squamish.

Check the current listings, bring whoever you watch with and come join the room.

Frequently asked questions about watching sports at The Backyard

Where is the best place to watch live sports in Squamish?

The Backyard is a sports-friendly neighbourhood pub in Valleycliffe with six screens, including a 140-inch projector, dedicated game audio and sightlines throughout the room. It shows featured soccer, rugby, hockey, NFL football and major international sporting events.

How many screens does The Backyard have?

The Backyard has six screens in total: three 80-inch televisions, two screens above the bar and a 140-inch projector used for major games.

Does The Backyard play game commentary with sound?

Yes. The Backyard has a dedicated audio system and uses full game sound for featured matches and major sporting events. Some everyday games may be shown without commentary, so check the event listing for sound details.

What sports does The Backyard show?

The Backyard regularly shows featured soccer, rugby, hockey and NFL football, along with major international tournaments, medal games, playoffs and finals. Specific games depend on the schedule and available broadcasts.

Does The Backyard show soccer and World Cup matches?

Yes. The Backyard shows featured soccer throughout the year and showed every match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Upcoming tournament and match details are posted on its website and social channels.

Does The Backyard show hockey games?

Yes. The Backyard shows featured NHL games, playoff matchups, international hockey and major medal games. Full sound is used for selected high-interest games.

Does The Backyard show rugby?

Yes. The Backyard shows major rugby fixtures when broadcasts and opening times allow, including selected international tests, Rugby World Cup, Six Nations and Canada matches.

Does The Backyard show NFL football?

Yes. The Backyard shows NFL games during the season and gives major matchups and the Super Bowl the main-screen and full-sound treatment. Contact the pub ahead of time if you are looking for a particular game.

Do I need a reservation to watch sports at The Backyard?

It depends on the event. Regular games generally run as part of normal pub service, while major watch parties may be walk-in only and can fill quickly. Check the individual event post for seating and service details.

Can I eat while watching the game?

Yes. The Backyard normally serves its pub menu during sports viewings. Exceptionally busy events may use a reduced menu or bar service, which will be explained in the event post.

Is The Backyard only a sports bar?

No. The Backyard is a neighbourhood pub that is sports-friendly rather than sports-only. It also serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch and hosts trivia, free live music and community events.