A landmark new venue, One New Zealand Stadium, in the heart of Christchurch’s city centre, has capacity for more than 37,000 people at concerts and can transform into cut-down event mode to support a range of sporting, cultural and business events.
Owned by Christchurch City Council, the New Zealand Government contributed NZ$230 million towards the NZ$683 million project, as well as the land for the stadium site. Construction started in 2022.
Venues Ōtautahi, the Christchurch City Council-owned venue and events company, is expecting to host more than 150 conferences, meetings, seminars, dinners, cocktail functions and exhibitions at the stadium over the next 12 months, with a packed-out calendar.
Venues Ōtautahi chief executive, Caroline Harvie-Teare, said while much publicity has centred around ticketed events, the biggest number of bookings for the stadium’s spaces were expected to come from businesses, individuals and community groups.
“One New Zealand Stadium is purpose-built to be the most accessible, flexible and sustainable venue in Aotearoa.
“Located right at the heart of Ōtautahi Christchurch, it’s no surprise it’s already generating plenty of interest from events of all types and sizes,” she said.
The stadium features six spaces which can be activated for events, with a variety and flexibility which allows for small meetings or large gatherings.
Standout spaces include the Ōtautahi Lounge for up to 892 guests, The Lancaster overlooking the field of play for up to 2,500 guests, and The Club, a flexible cocktail-style venue for up to 500 guests that includes views over the city down to the field of play. It has its own feature bar, making it a perfect spot for cocktail functions.
For larger events, the stadium’s field of play itself provides 10,660m2 of open space, allowing banquet dinners for 5,400 people or cocktail functions for 10,000.
The concourse is also available for event gatherings.
One New Zealand Stadium sits inside the central city’s new Te Kaharoa precinct, and is well connected to the public transport network and accommodation providers, with the city’s top hospitality and retail spots on the stadium’s doorstep.
