Te Kaha (stadium)

Te Kaha, initially known as the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena and currently known for sponsorship reasons as One New Zealand Stadium, is a multi-use sports arena in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is bordered by Hereford, Madras, Tuam, and Barbadoes streets. The facility is a replacement for Lancaster Park, which was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and demolished in 2019. The stadium name Te Kaha means "the strength" in Māori and was gifted by Ngāi Tūāhuriri (a local sub-tribe of Ngāi Tahu). The name and the arena's architecture are intended to represent the strength and resilience of Canterbury and its people. The land and stadium precinct are named Te Kaharoa, meaning "enduring strength". The stadium is part of the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan developed by the government in 2012. It was formally opened on 27 March 2026. Progress After many years of discussion, the city council confirmed a stadium investment case in December 2019 and the cabinet approved its funding contribution in March 2020. Construction was hoped to be complete by late 2024. On 22 July 2021, a majority of Christchurch City Council councillors made a preliminary decision to reduce the capacity to 25,000, but councillors voted on 12 August 2021 to backtrack on that decision after it was revealed the 30,000-seat option would only cost an extra $50 million, rather than the $88 million councillors were originally advised of. As of 2026, the stadium has 25,000 permanent seats with capacity for a further 5000 temporary seats, and has a maximum capacity of 37,000 for concerts. Construction began in January 2023 and the stadium was opened on 27 March 2026. Timeline 2012 In July 2012, the Christchurch Central Development Unit released their 100-day blueprint also known as the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan. The plan included a new permanent 35,000-seat multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue as an anchor project within a scheme for a future city vision. The 6-hectare (15-acre) site is bounded by Tuam, Madras, Hereford and Barbadoes Streets. The Government took responsibility for acquiring the land needed for the stadium. 2017 The government Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Nicky Wagner and Christchurch City Council published a "Pre-Feasibility Study" for a multi-use arena. This did not consider any options with 35,000 seats, due to the high cost, and the general consensus among stakeholders (except for New Zealand Rugby) was that that capacity was higher than Christchurch needed. 2021 In March 2021, a consortium of businesses were confirmed as the successful tenderer for designing and building the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena. The group known as Kōtui is led by Australian-based stadium construction company BESIX Watpac and also includes the Christchurch-based Southbase Construction and Fulton Hogan, local seismic engineers Lewis Bradford, Christchurch architects Warren and Mahoney, and global stadium design companies Populous and Mott MacDonald. The land that the stadium sits on was gifted the name Te Kaharoa ("enduring strength" in Māori) by the local hapū (sub-tribe) Ngāi Tūāhuriri in 2021. The city's mayor Lianne Dalziel said that Te Kaharoa reflected Canterbury's "determination and fierce spirit". 2022 The name of the stadium Te Kaha (meaning "the strength") was gifted by Ngāi Tūāhuriri; the name Te Kaha replaced the name Canterbury Multi-Use Arena in January 2022. On 14 July, the Christchurch City Council voted to sign a $683 million contract to build Te Kaha. This will require the council to invest an extra $150 million, which they plan to do by increasing rates. The $150m increase in costs in 2022 was blamed by councillors on the combined economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and COVID-19 lockdowns in China. The council received 30,000 submissions about the stadium, with 77% being in favour. Barry Bragg, the Te Kaha project delivery board chairman, said it was a fixed price contract, meaning that there will be no further increases of the cost of the project. 2024 In July, a sponsorship deal gave naming rights for 10 years to the telecommunications company One NZ. The stadium was given the sponsored name One New Zealand Stadium; official sources often refer to it as One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, using both official names. 2026 The official council opening event was on 27 March 2026, with the first events scheduled to take place in April 2026. On 14 November 2025, it was announced that the New Zealand Warriors will continue their deal of playing one NRL match a year in Christchurch. The squad will face the North Queensland Cowboys on 21 June 2026. Tickets sold out in 5 days with an expected crowd of 25,000. In December 2025, it was announced that the first concert to be held at the stadium would be Once in a Lifetime on 16 May 2026 which would feature full sets from Six60 and Synthony. On 17 March 2026, it was announced that British singer Robbie Williams would perform at the stadium on 28 November 2026 as part of the Britpop Tour. This is currently scheduled to be the first concert headlined by an international act to be held at the stadium. The stadium hosted its first major events in April 2026 with five Super Rugby Pacific matches played over ANZAC weekend, as the stadium took on the mantle of hosting Super Round from 2026 onwards. Including all future interest on the $683 million construction contract, that the final bill to ratepayers is estimated to surpass NZ$1,000,000,000. Features Te Kaha's design includes elements closely related to Canterbury and to elements of Māori culture. Several features were conceived by the artist Morgan Darlison, appointed by Ngāi Tūāhuriri. The seating bowl has a unique black-and-grey kowhaiwhai design inspired by the hammerhead shark "which represents strength, tenacity, speed and agility". Darlison chose this for its visual impact, and she intended it as "[a] bit of inspiration for our performers and athletes". The stadium's steel outer façade represents the Canterbury landscape seen around the stadium, including the mountains, waterways, coast and food resources (mahika kai). Warren and Mahoney wrote, "no matter where visitors stand, the façade will mirror the landscape behind it". Other artworks depict the Māori creation story in the version of Ngāi Tahu (the main South Island tribe). Te Kaha's maximum capacity when hosting concerts will be 37,300. The stadium has a permanent roof 32 metres above ground level, made from steel and clad with thin ETFE plastic. Events 2026 Rugby League World Cup In November 2025, the stadium was named as a venue for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup. Rugby union In December 2025, it was announced that Te Kaha would play host to the All Blacks first home game of the new 2026 Nations Championship. It was also announced that the Black Ferns would host their final game of the year in Christchurch. In January 2026, it was announced that the British & Irish Lions Women would play the Black Ferns at the stadium in the final game of the 2027 British & Irish Lions Women's tour to New Zealand. In addition it will host the Super Round of the Super Rugby season with all 5 games during the round spread over one weekend, as well as all Crusaders home games moving forwards. International fixtures Super Round Concerts See also Sport in Christchurch Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre Notes References External links Official website Te Kaha News and Announcements