Organisers of the "Octagon Village", brothers Phil, Grant and Barry Ellis, and John MacDonald, say they want to cater for some of the 18,000 people expected to flood the hospitality market on the night of the Tri-Nations test against the Springboks, July 12.
Up to 3500 people will be hosted in three large marquees to be set up on July 11 and 12 outside lower Octagon bars The Terrace, Craft Bar, Lemon Room and 10 Bar.
The lower Octagon would be closed for the two days.
Phil Ellis, of the Ellis Hospitality Group, said the tent village was organised with the thinking the tent city near Carisbrook, venue of the test, would go ahead as well.
The village would be the first of its type in the Octagon and Mr Ellis said it would cater for the thousands of people who could not fit into the Otago Rugby Football Union's tent city or other city bars.
However, Otago rugby boss Richard Reid said the tent village at Carisbrook might be cancelled if the one in the Octagon went ahead.
Mr Reid said the Otago Rugby Football Union (ORFU) could not afford to risk making a loss on the village it had planned for the car park beside the ground.
"I'm pretty risk-averse at the moment because it's important we start doing better financially.
"At the moment, our tent village is still on. But that may change depending on what happens in the Octagon."
Mr Ellis said they had applied to the Dunedin City Council for resource consent and it had been ratified, subject to normal building consent for the marquees being accepted on July 11.
A council spokesman confirmed the group had lodged an application and there had been no opposition to it.
The group had been given an extended liquor licence for the village.
Mr Ellis said the tents, each measuring 15m by 9m, would be erected at 7am on the Friday. They would cover the lower Octagon road from George St to lower Stuart St.
On the Friday night, a concert would be held with The Feelers booked to play, for which tickets were on sale.
On the Saturday, the tent village would be open to the public, for free, from 10am until about 4am the next day.
Extra security staff had been hired and outside toilets would be in place.
Dunedin police emergency response commander Inspector Alastair Dickie said extra officers would be rostered on for the weekend and police would be "visible" around the inner city streets after the game.
Mr MacDonald said he hoped the village would work as a blueprint for what could be done for other events.
Mr Reid said the committee the ORFU formed to plan for the test decided to reinstate the tent village, which was hugely popular before and after afternoon tests in the 1990s, mainly to highlight how Dunedin could be a unique venue for the All Blacks.
It was not a money-making venture, but there was no point having one if it could not at least break even. Hiring the large tent for the village was a high fixed-cost component.
M
"People don't differentiate between who's running it. It's a tent. Octagon is the home of Dunedin city and the other one is close to the ground. If it only goes ahead in the Octagon, I don't think it will take away from the weekend.
"I'm pretty relaxed about it because I can't control it. If they see an opportunity, good on them. This have never been about making a lot of money for us."
