Known commercially as ‘Sky Stadium’ since 2020 and as Westpac Stadium for 20 years before that, the Wellington Regional Stadium has been a fixture of New Zealand’s sport and cultural landscape for over two decades. The Stadium has hosted a wide range of sporting events and concerts, making it a popular destination for Wellingtonians and visitors alike.
Building a new Stadium was first proposed in the early 1990s, when the main destination for Wellington sports events at the time, Athletic Park, was no longer able to meet the safety and capacity needs of the growing population. Athletic Park was well loved, but it was not well placed.
After 21 months of construction, the stadium opened in 2000. The stadium made history as the world’s first purpose-built modern cricket and rugby stadium and had 34,500 seats. Since its official opening on 3 January 2000, it has played host to numerous high-profile events, including international rugby matches, and concerts by some of the world's biggest musicians.
The Wharewaka - 2011