The first soil on the site of the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena has been turned, marking the start of its construction.
At 1pm today, the site was blessed by mana whenua Ngāi Tūāhuriri, followed by a sod-turning ceremony.
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel, Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods and Te Kaha Project Delivery board chair Barry Bragg also spoke at the event.
Work on the new 30,000-seat rectangular-turf arena is due to be finished by mid-2025.