18 Mar 2026

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Make the most of your chance to see One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha when its doors open for a community day.

Christchurch City Council and stadium operators Venues Ōtautahi confirmed the stadium will be open to the public from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 2 May with a selection of food vendors also operating.

It will be the first opportunity for the community to explore the venue outside of Super Rugby Pacific’s Super Round.

More than 15,000 people were expected for the open day where they’ll get to walk the concourse, explore the seating bowl, check out the big screens, hear the stadium’s impressive acoustics and taste some of the amazing food on the concourse.

Venues Ōtautahi Chief Executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said the opening of the stadium was an exciting time for the city and it was important to make sure the whole community gets to experience it.

“We know this place means so much to so many people, so we want as many members of the community as possible to walk through the gates and experience firsthand this remarkable facility and have pride that it is part of our amazing city,” she said.

“For the last four years, as a community, we’ve watched the stadium grow from the ground up and take its place in the cityscape. It is a truly remarkable piece of infrastructure that will deliver an unforgettable experience.”

Mayor Phil Mauger encouraged the community to come and along and make the most of their chance to see the stadium. 

“This is an opportunity for people to experience the stadium and feel an immense sense of pride that this incredible piece of infrastructure belongs to our city. Even if you’re heading to Super Round, the community open day will be a chance to explore different parts of the stadium.”

“Cantabrians have had to wait a long time for a world-class stadium and One NZ Stadium will certainly be worth the wait.”

The open day has been set for the first available weekend, following the opening event, Super Rugby Pacific’s Super Round on April 24-26, to ensure families were able to make the most of the opportunity.

Over the next 40 days, the venue has a packed schedule of load-in, training and load-testing activities to ensure opening night runs smoothly. The schedule also includes a series of test events targeted to specific areas of the stadium.

Ms Harvie-Teare was confident they would be ready when the gates open the first time.

“There has been a huge amount of planning and a strong testing period which will help us optimise the way we operate prior to the opening week, but we are also ready to be nimble and adjust across those first events to maximise the stadium experience for our guests.”

The stadium’s event calendar is filling up quickly with another international concert announcement imminent.

“One NZ Stadium hasn’t opened its doors yet but has more major entertainment content announced than any other Stadium in the country. With plenty more in the pipeline and the clear demand for this outstanding venue we are confident this momentum will continue long into the future. “

The One NZ Stadium Community Open Day will feature on the Open Christchurch, annual festival of architectural excellence, programme.

'"We're thrilled that the One New Zealand Stadium will be part of Open Christchurch, celebrating the architecture, designers and engineering of this significant landmark for the city,” Te Pūtahi Director Jessica Halliday said.

Other venues involved in Open Christchurch will be announced on Thursday.