Christchurch City Council stages 12 month countdown event for opening of One New Zealand Stadium

With a year to go until the city’s new $683 million stadium opens its doors, Christchurch City Council has today given residents a look behind the scenes at the One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha.

With construction having commenced in April 2022 and the venue is on track to open in April 2026, the stadium is the last of Christchurch’s post earthquake anchor projects from the original rebuild blueprint.

Speaking at the event Christchurch Mayor, Phil Mauger said the milestone is “great for the project and the city”.

He added “there’s huge excitement in the community about One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha and all the benefits it will bring to Christchurch. People really can’t wait to get in there for big concerts, sports matches and everything in between.”

The multi-use arena, located in the centre of the city, will cater for 30,000 (25,000 permanent seats and room for 5000 more) for sports matches and up to 37,300 when in concert mode.

Mayor Mauger added “the Crusaders and Matatū will be playing Super Rugby matches at the stadium next season. The One New Zealand Warriors and Wellington Phoenix are also signed up to play a match each in 2026.”

The Council has today released a video highlighting the work done to date and providing a breakdown of materials used.

Te Kaha Project Chief Executive David Kennedy said it’s been a “mammoth effort to get the project to this point.

“Lead contractor BESIX Watpac and all our sub-contractors have pulled out all the stops, and we’re in a great position to not only deliver one of the biggest infrastructure projects the country has seen, but to deliver it on budget and on time.”

Work over the next six months will focus on cladding the roof and façade, with the turf, currently being grown off-site, set to arrive and be rolled out later this year.

BESIX Watpac Chief Executive Mark Baker said the use of natural grass inside a fully enclosed stadium was a rare feat, noting "this will be just the second stadium in the world to have a natural grass playing surface that’s fully enclosed, so it’s something special."

The arena is also designed to be seismically resilient. Its external steel structure is not connected to the seating bowl, meaning the two components can move independently during an earthquake.

Terrafirma Turf chosen for playing surface
TerraFirma Turf has advised that it has secured the tender for One New Zealand Stadium’s field of play.

In a social media post, the Christchurch-based company advised “the work is already well underway, and we’re excited to keep delivering to the highest standard, every step of the way and we can’t wait to show you some behind-the-scenes of what's coming up.”