Eden Park unveils more upgrade plans after winning stadium debate, needs $110m from Government

Eden Park has today released more detailed plans for its future upgrade, after winning the Auckland stadium debate, which would need $110 million from the Government to complete the first stage of redevelopment.

The Eden Park 2.1 proposal – which initially requires Government funding – has been pitched to be completed in three stages, the first of which includes reconfiguration of the lower North Stand including retractable seating and a new tiered “Eat Street” concourse.

This would bring fans in the North Stand to within 14m of the rugby touchline, compared to the current 29m, and increase capacity to 50,000 for the rugby matches. Retractable seating would also extend and create a perfectly circular boundary. It would also increase capacity to 70,000 plus for concerts.

These changes would be aimed for the 2026 Indian men’s cricket tour which is followed by the 2028 T20 World Cup, the 2027 women’s British and Irish Lions series and the 2029 men’s British and Irish Lions series.

Stage two would see the North Stand be architecturally aligned with the South Stand, creating a ‘unified and iconic stadium profile’. This would include a full redevelopment of the lower North Stand including new function and entertainment spaces.

The third and final stage is a long-term adaptation with a provision for a retractable roof and additional infrastructure to support all-weather events.

The development hopes to strengthen New Zealand’s ability to host global events and enrich community and cultural participation.

The presentation includes mock-up images of new events such as pickleball, beach volleyball and X-Games being hosted at Eden Park along with optimising rugby and cricket at the stadium, the two sports that have the longest history at the ground.

An artist's impression of a ramp for the X-Games at Eden Park.

Eden Park has approached the Government to support funding the project.

“We had the opportunity to present to the National Party caucus last week,” Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said.

“We also have now written to the Minister for Sport to engage in a conversation around the opportunity and the return on the investment deliverable from the stage one redevelopment of Eden Park.”

“We’re confident the investment provides a return to not only the ratepayers of Auckland but also the taxpayers of New Zealand. There’s far broader benefits associated with Eden Park 2.1 than just the economic benefits, and we understand that the opportunity will come for us to demonstrate that in the right forum,” Sautner added.

Sautner said the timeline for the entire project is between five and 15 years.

“The priority is stage one. It’s the foundation of the future redevelopment of Eden Park. That $110 million is critical for the event calendar over the next three to five years, and our focus is on stage one.

“We know the horizon is between five and 15 years to complete the project. If we had a press go today for the entire funding, we would be able to deliver this programme in five years, but we understand that there is going to be a staged approach and also a calendar of content that we want to make sure that we can deliver.

“So the reality is three years for the completion of stage one.”

Last week, councillors voted 17-2 that the venue was fit for purpose as Auckland’s main stadium – endorsing in principle a staged redevelopment as the best and most feasible option.

That saw the rival Quay Park waterfront stadium proposal miss out.

Last week, the Herald reported that a report by senior council officers said the Eden Park Trust was seeking $110 million from the Government for the first stage to redevelop the Lower North Stand.

However, it also said there are no plans for Auckland Council to provide funding towards a major stadium upgrade or new stadium but there may be merit in Government support in the early stages.

Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She’s a football commentator and co-host of the Football Fever podcast, and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a fulltime journalist.