Major venue upgrades completed at Wellington Stadium ahead of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

Wellington Regional Stadium Trust has advised of the completion of a  series of venue upgrades ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, kicking off in the city on Friday 21st July.

Announced in September 2022, Wellington Regional Stadium (also known as Sky Stadium) was confirmed as recipient of a total of $4.1 million of New Zealand Government and New Zealand Football funding to assist in venue upgrades ahead of the tournament.

These upgrades include a full pitch replacement, upgraded tower and bowl rim LED lighting, and gender-neutral changing facilities. Additional infrastructure improvements include 40 new entry turnstiles which will allow for a much smoother and faster entry to the venue for all ticket types, including mobile tickets.

Following the Ed Sheeran concert on 2nd February, which required the full playing surface to be covered for a period of 10 days, the stadium turf team along with Mexteds Sports Turf and HG Turf removed and replaced 10,000 metre² of turf.

The project involved 12 months of planning and took 14 days to complete.

FIFA’s Women’s World Cup 2023 tournament lighting standards meant that upgrades to the existing floodlighting system were required. A total of 392 metal halide fittings have been replaced with 404 LED light fittings. The new LED floodlighting system will provide better illumination and uniformity and improve floodlighting efficiency from 748kw to 606kw. This is estimated to provide energy savings of 23%.

The project group consisted of lighting designers, engineers, manufacturers, surveyors, abseilers and the installation team. The first floodlight was decommissioned in January and the new floodlighting system fully functional prior to the Crusaders Super Rugby match on 3rd June.

The changing rooms have historically catered to the male sports teams. Upgrades including changes from communal showers to individual cubicles and an increase in toilet cubicles. Changing rooms have also been repainted and refloored.

Wellington Regional Stadium Chief Executive, Shane Harmon “the FIFA Women's World Cup is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase the best of women's football to the world.

"These upgrades will ensure that the Stadium is ready to host the world's best female footballers, while leaving a lasting legacy for our region."

The venue will host nine matches during the tournament, including seven group matches, a round of 16 match and a quarterfinal match.

The upgrades are part of a $19 million investment by the New Zealand Government to upgrade sporting facilities across the country ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

The investment is also supporting upgrades at 29 other venues, including Eden Park, Waikato Stadium, and Dunedin Stadium (Forsyth Barr Sadium), and training venues around the country.

Harmon added “to have financial assistance from central government to make these improvements and upgrades ahead of the tournament, means the venue will remain world class for all codes and players in the years ahead.”

The FIFA Women's World Cup is expected to attract over 30,000 visitors to New Zealand, and it is estimated to generate more than $200 million in economic activity. The tournament will also be a major boost for women's football in New Zealand, and it is expected to inspire a new generation of female footballers.

The FIFA Women's World Cup will be held in New Zealand and Australia from 20th July to 20st August 2023.

Images: New LED lighting in use for the Hurricanes v Crusaders at Wellington Regional Stadium/Sky Stadium on 3rd June 2023 (top, credit: Photosport), turf and rim lighting replacement taking place simultaneously in February (middle) and upgraded changing room facilities at the venue (below).