Watch: Stadium progress 150 days out

The countdown to One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha opening its doors is on!

With only around 150 days to go, the hospitality suites, food outlets and seating are almost finished.

The stadium will have 32 food and beverage outlets, serving a range of items from 25 local vendors.

Most of these are arranged around the level one concourse, which provides uninterrupted views of the field of play.

In the stands, work continues on installing the stadium’s 25,000 permanent seats, and concrete has been laid for the Field Club which sits at the northern end, along Hereford Street.

This premium space will accommodate about 400 guests and includes a dedicated entry off Hereford Street, a feature bar, and a range of seating options.

The project remains on budget and the stadium is on track to open in April 2026.

Faces of Te Kaha: Brendan Dobier

Position: Supervisor at Alloyfold 

Day to day I… install the stadium seating. This involved drilling around 15,000 holes, installing about 18km of railing and the 25,000 permanent seats. 

The best part of my job is… I like that it’s physical and I like being on the tools. 

Past projects: I worked on the Canterbury Museum rebuild, jacking up the building. 

Outside of work I… like watching motorsport and living the family life. 

Precinct progress

Spanning three city blocks, the stadium grounds will include 20,000 square metres of vegetation and pathways when finished. 

Landscaping has been underway since mid-2025 and is on track to finish up before the end of the year. 

The last phase started in late October, when the stadium fences were removed and temporary construction fences put in place on Barbadoes, Tuam and Madras Streets to keep contractors safe while they work. 

This week, asphalt will be laid along Barbadoes Street, connecting the footpath to the stadium grounds. Paving stones will then be added.

Once the paving stones are in, the temporary fences will be moved off the road to the stadium boundary. The traffic lane and footpath on Barbadoes Street, which are currently closed, will reopen early next month.

The same process will follow on Tuam and Madras Streets, with the work expected to finish up before the end of the year. Temporary construction fences will remain in place at the stadium boundary until April to keep the grounds secure. 

Progress update

We're on the homestretch of the landscaping work, fit-out of the stands, and seating installation. These workstreams are due to be completed at the end of the year.

Check out how the team on site are tracking below.

The stadium has 32 food and beverage locations. Most of these are arranged around the level one concourse, which provides uninterrupted views of the field of play. The individual food vendors will start their fit-out early next year. The outlet above is near the entrance of the south stand.

The fit-out of the west stand is almost complete, with all 23 of the hospitality suites on track to be finished by the end of the year. 

The photo above shows the view from the terrace outside the hospitality suites. 

Around half the seats have now been installed around the upper tiers of the stands, and rest are expected to be in place by the end of the year. 

Work on the field of play continues, with the final layers being added at the south end, and the north end not far behind. The turf has been growing off-site since May, and will be laid over the summer. 

At the north end, along Hereford Street, the concrete has been laid for the Field Club. This premium space will accommodate about 400 guests and includes a dedicated entry off Hereford Street, a feature bar, and a range of seating options.

Above is a look at the south end, where the grass and new plants are growing in nicely. Landscaping works are continuing at the north-east corner.

Site progress photos

What to expect over the coming months

Due to the huge size of the project, different stages of work will overlap to streamline the process. That means as one phase of work progresses across the site (working from south to north), the next phase will follow closely behind it.

Q4 2025 - Many workstreams will start to wrap up this quarter, including the fit-out of the stands, landscaping works, and seat installation. Work will continue on preparing the field of play for the turf. LED ribbon boards will be installed in the stands. The final services commissioning and testing will continue. The perimeter fences will shift so the stadium grounds can be tied into the surrounding precinct.

Q1 2026 - Field of play works will be completed and the turf will be established on site. The individual food vendors will complete their fit-out. The final building clean will take place. The venue operators will receive training and site familiarisation ahead of opening in April.