Major milestones at new Christchurch stadium

With six months until Christchurch’s new stadium opens its doors, the roof is finished and the landscaping is moving ahead.

Christchurch City Council project director Kent Summerfield said the last section of the roof was installed late last month and the team is now preparing for the next phase of landscaping.

“With the planting, lighting, pathways, and exterior stairs well advanced, we’re ready to connect the grounds to the surrounding footpaths and complete the precinct.

“To do this, we must first take down the perimeter fencing. Temporary fences will be placed in the road to allow our contractors to safely asphalt the footpaths and tie everything together.”

Asphalting work will start next week on Barbadoes St, Tuam St and Madras St, and is expected to be finished in December.

Inside the stadium, the seating bowl is also coming together.

“The team has installed around 18 kilometres of railing for the 25,000 permanent seats. We’ve also got all the handrails and safety barriers in place,” Summerfield said.

One NZ Stadium will have 25,000 permanent seats, with an additional temporary stand of 5,000.

“Several large sections of seating have now been installed, and you can see the kowhaiwhai pattern starting to take shape,” says Mr Summerfield.

The latest video update also shows how the field is going. A sand layer is being added at the south end and subgrade at the north.

The turf has been growing off-site since March and will be transported to the stadium and unrolled during the summer.

Other areas on track to finish late this year include the landscaping, seat installation, and the fit-out of the stands.

“Next year, the focus will shift to establishing the turf, testing and commissioning, and staff training,” Summerfield said.

The project remains on budget, with the stadium on track to open in April 2026.