Fifteen years in the making, Christchurch’s brand new stadium opens today

Friday, 27 March 2026

With 44 days until the gates open at Te Kaha, the race is on to secure global superstars. While sporting events are locked in, the stadium's operator hints at a major mystery music announcement coming next week.

It has been 15 years in the making, and today Christchurch gets the keys to its brand new stadium, One New Zealand Stadium.

The idea for a new city stadium was conceived following serious damage to the historic Lancaster Park during the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

First proposed in 2012 as part of Christchurch’s central city recovery, the new multi-purpose stadium has been more than a decade in the making.

After years of debate - including plans for a smaller venue - a 30,000-seat stadium was agreed in 2021, with capacity for up to 36,000 at major concerts.

Enabling works began in April 2020, the $683 million design was finalised in 2022, and that same year the stadium was gifted its initial name - Te Kaha.

A beast to build

Substructure works and major concrete pours begin in January 2023, with the roof completed in September 2025 and the seating installation in January this year.

The building of the stadium required serious people power and saw a lot of heavy materials, including plenty of steel and glass, used over the three years or so of construction.

Aerial view of One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch, taken 45 days before it officially opens for its first major event.

According to Christchurch City Council, the construction of One New Zealand Stadium involved the installation of more than 80 steel roof modules, each weighing over 75 tonnes. The heaviest module weighed 160 tonnes and required the largest crane in the country, a 1200-tonne crawler, to install.

Over 9000 Rammed Aggregate Piers were installed from 5.5m to 12m depth, while 32,700 cubic metres of concrete were poured.

But wait, there is more. Approximately 16,400 tonnes of steel were used, 122,000 bolts, 600km of cabling, 5km of air-conditioning ducting, 22,000 sheets of drywall, 11,500 square metres of steel sheeting, and 1100 panes of glass.

One New Zealand Stadium in the Christchurch CBD.

All this took almost 4000 people working on the project, who collectively put in around 2.4 million work hours.

What can people expect?

So with construction finished and the gates about to open, what can guests expect?

Well, there are 23 hospitality suites at the stadium, each accommodating 20 to 60 guests, while a function room allows for up to 900 people.

The first sports game at the stadium is on April 24.

The food offerings are also extensive, with 32 food and beverage vendors for people to indulge in, ranging from pizza to burgers to pies.

Events are already rolling in, including Robbie Williams and Six60, and the stadium can host 15 concerts per year under its resource consent.

Sport will also feature heavily in the stadium's schedule, with a Super Rugby round in April and the Warriors set to grace the pitch in June.

And an expensive pitch it is, with the playing surface believed to be New Zealand’s most expensive piece of grass in the form of a multi-million-dollar, high-tech playing surface.

In total, the stadium is designed to host over 200 events annually and is expected to attract 500,000 attendees each year.

Economically, the stadium is also set to have an impact, with Thrive Investment Partners projecting it will inject $50 million annually into the local economy.

The first event will be a rugby match between the Crusaders and Warratahs as part of the Super Rugby Super Round on April 24.