Inside Christchurch’s new $683m stadium Te Kaha

Work on Christchurch’s new $683 million covered stadium is running on time and on budget but the city’s mayor admits he has “no idea” where fans will park.

With the city’s long-awaited new stadium just a year away, Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger today took local media on a tour inside One New Zealand Stadium/Te Kaha.

The building site was a hive of activity as the giant new build now looms high on the cityscape and construction director Brian Hayes says exterior cladding is a main focus, as are interior fit-outs on food and beverage stands.

The roof is partially closed but, more importantly, the grass is growing off-site, ready to be rolled out once construction is complete.

Hayes says this will be common practice for the stadium, as damaged grass will be replaced with off-site grass to ensure consistent and optimal pitch conditions.

With a capacity of around 30,000 people for on-field play and 37,500 for concerts, Te Kaha has already got events booking.

Mauger says Venues Ōtautahi has already had multiple bookings for the stadium, but the first event is yet to be announced.

He says the venue will bring major financial gains to the city, comparing it to Te Pae Convention Centre, which he says brings in $60m a year.

Further features include four changing rooms and warm-up areas, 23 private suites and a function room with a 900-person capacity.

When patrons are getting food at one of the 32 food and beverage stands, the game play will be unmissed thanks to unobstructed views of the field.

The two main gates are located on Tuam and Barbadoes streets. However, the question of parking still looms.

Mauger says he has “no idea” where people will park, but is adamant that public transport provided by ECan, along with foot traffic, will make the stadium easily accessible.

He says for inspiration, Christchurch should look to places like Melbourne, where game-day transport flows well.

The mayor also expects road construction to be completed soon.

“I would say in about a month and a half’s time, maybe even less than that, all the street stuff will be finished, but a bit of work will need to be done to the footpaths.”

Mauger says overall, the project has gone extremely well and that he cannot wait to have major sporting events back in Christchurch.

The project is continuing to run on time and budget to be opened in April 2026.