After several sell-out Super Rugby games, Christchurch’s new stadium is transforming into a venue for its first major music concert.
This weekend, 37,000 people will descend on the venue for the sold-out Once in a Lifetime concert, headlined by Kiwi acts Six60 and Synthony.
Crews have been working around the clock, converting the 25,000-seat sports stadium into a concert arena complete with large-scale staging, additional food vendors, and temporary outdoor precincts to help cater for the crowd.
Caroline Harvie-Teare, chief executive of Venues Ōtautahi, said the event will test several systems for the first time – including crowd management, transport and acoustics.
"This is an absolute transformation. We’re going from a 25,000 capacity sports stadium to a 37,000 entertainment venue," Harvie-Teare said.
"It’s the first time a whole lot of things are being tested. It’s our first true entertainment-style event."
Concert promoter Brent Eccles, who organised the gig, said it will be "cathartic" for the residents of Christchurch.
"It’s great for the city and great for the artists too. It is so exciting for everybody – the whole country seems to have been watching this. It’s a full New Zealand production, a full New Zealand line-up. It couldn’t be better."
The new turf will be fully covered with temporary tiles to protect the playing surface before concert-goers fill the field in their thousands.
After the show, operations staff will perform a rapid transformation back into a sports stadium.
Coryn Huddy, general manager operations at Venues Ōtautahi, said loading in for the event had gone smoothly due to the stadium’s roof.
"It’s fantastic. It increases temperature. It’s effectively a controlled environment. As these activities are all within the confines of the stadium from a scheduling perspective, it makes it a lot easier,” he said.
Venue managers will be monitoring noise levels closely, with sound monitors installed around the stadium perimeter to ensure the concert remained within consented limits.
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