One NZ Stadium opens: Simon Barnett shows off CHCH's new home of sport and music

Simon Barnett helped introduce New Zealand’s newest home of sport and music gigs in Christchurch today.

One New Zealand Stadium officially opened this morning, marking an almost 15-year-awaited milestone in the city’s earthquake rebuild.

In a video introducing the new grounds to the country, Barnett addressed the loss of Christchurch’s last stadium, Lancaster Park, following the devastating 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

 “We lost everything,” he said. “Not just our city, but our centre.”

Welcome to our new home for sport and song, for culture and connection.

“So welcome home, Otautahi, Christchurch,” Barnett adds.

And while today marks the first opening day for the stadium, locals and plenty of Kiwis around the country have been looking forward to the events that are already lined up at the stadium.

The first major sporting event to take place under the new roof is Super Rugby Pacific’s Super Round over ANZAC Weekend.

The three-day back-to-back sporting event will see a whopping ten teams match up in five games on the freshest field in the country.

Naturally, the Crusaders open the weekend at their new home grounds. And while the first game might be sold out, there are still limited tickets available for the Saturday (Hurricanes v ACT Brumbies, Blues v Queensland Reds) and Sunday (Highlanders v Moana Pasifika, Chiefs v Fijian Drua) game days.

Following a huge weekend of sport, the stadium gears up to welcome a sold-out crowd, for ‘Once In A Lifetime’ 2026 with headliners Six60 and Synthony.

On May 16, the biggest acts around Aotearoa are coming together for an unforgettable moment in New Zealand music history - the first-ever concert at the premiere venue.

But it doesn’t stop there because Robbie Williams is bringing his massive ‘BRITPOP World Tour’ to New Zealand, performing in Christchurch for the first time in 25 years.

His November gig is the first international music performance to entertain us at the new venue.

And having just visited the country in 2024, the Foo Fighters are returning for their ‘Take Cover Tour’ in January 2027. 

There’ll be plenty more to book in the calendar and give Kiwis around the motu a reason to check it out!