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Seeking $110 million from the New Zealand Government for the first stage of the project, new details of the planned major redevelopment of Auckland’s Eden Park have been revealed.

Having been backed by Auckland Council - effectively winning the debate over the city’s major stadium needs - the Eden Park Trust’s Eden Park 2.1 proposal - which initially requires New Zealand 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.

Aiming to optimise the Eden Park field and fan experience, the proposal will centre on reconfiguration of the lower North Stand, including retractable seating in order to bring fan 14 metres closer to the action, enhancing proximity to play and atmosphere, while also enabling a full-sized, International Cricket Council-compliant field, with optimised boundary length and proportion - creating a perfectly circular layout for international formats, including Test matches.

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 facilitate additional concerts, new sporting and non-sporting events, and larger crowds.

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.

First revealed by the Trust in April 2023, under the Eden Park 2.0 banner, the proposed revamp of New Zealand’s largest stadium has a projected cost of over $500 million.

The Trust says Eden Park 2.1 leverages existing infrastructure, aligns with global best practice, and enhances fan experience, accessibility and versatility. With the completion of the City Rail Link in 2026, it states that Eden Park will be one of the best-located major stadiums in the world - with frequent, direct, high-capacity trains linking fans to and from the city centre in under nine minutes.

Commenting on the plan, Eden Park Chief Executive, Nick Sautner told the NZ Herald “we had the opportunity to present to the National Party caucus last week.

“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 said the timeline for the entire project is between five and 15 years, adding “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, Auckland 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.

As a result, a development consortium’s proposal for a waterfront stadium is unlikely to proceed.

Main image: The 2023 concept for the redevelopment of Eden Park.

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