Image credit: BESIX Watpac
Quick Answer
Alloyfold supplied and installed 25,000 permanent Victory seats at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha in Christchurch, New Zealand's newest major stadium, which opened in April 2026. The nine-month installation was completed in January 2026 by Oak Tree, a labour hire social enterprise within the Pathway Charitable Group. The seating includes both upholstered and unupholstered Victory seats across the main bowl, plus two mobile retractable systems with upholstered Victory seats and cup holders in the Field Club. The project was contracted through BESIX Watpac on behalf of Christchurch City Council.
New Zealand's Newest Stadium. Every Seat Installed by Alloyfold.
Every great stadium begins as a decision. Not just about capacity or budget. A decision about what kind of experience you are creating for every person who walks through those gates, season after season, through rain and wind and the noise of 25,000 people on their feet. One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha is Christchurch's most significant piece of public infrastructure in decades. Every seat in it was supplied and installed by Alloyfold.
If you have been searching for who installed the seats at Te Kaha, or wondering what is actually inside New Zealand's newest stadium, this post has the full picture.
The right seating decision shapes how a venue is experienced for the next 20 to 30 years. Get it wrong and you are managing maintenance and complaints for a decade. Get it right and the seats become part of the stadium's identity.
What Was Installed at One New Zealand Stadium
See the full project gallery on our Te Kaha stadium seating portfolio page.
Fixed seating across the main bowl
The primary seating throughout the stadium bowl is the Victory seat, Alloyfold's flagship stadium chair. Two configurations were installed: an unupholstered Victory seat across the general spectator areas, and an upholstered Victory seat in the fixed premium Te Kaha sections.
Image credit: BESIX Watpac
The black and grey kōwhaiwhai pattern that flows across the bowl was created by local Christchurch artist Morgan Darlison, inspired by the mangōpare, the hammerhead shark, representing strength, tenacity, speed, and agility. Installing a cultural design of that significance, at that scale, and with that level of consistency across 25,000 seats, was not something the team took lightly.
When a seat has to carry a cultural design as well as 25,000 spectators, it has to get both right.
Retractable seating in the Field Club
The Field Club retractable seating was a second, separate contract arranged directly with Christchurch City Council. Alloyfold supplied mobile retractable systems fitted with upholstered Victory seats and integrated cup holders.
Image credit: BESIX Watpac
The retractable systems use the Axor retractable seating platform, designed to expand quickly and retract into a compact footprint when the space needs to flex for different events.
Who Carried Out the Installation
The physical installation was carried out by Oak Tree, a labour hire social enterprise within the Pathway Charitable Group. Oak Tree provides structured employment and support for people who face barriers to work, combining the job itself with the wraparound support needed to make it sustainable.
The installation crew included up to 12 workers throughout the nine-month project, completed in January 2026. Project Manager Chris Camm, who grew up in Christchurch and led the installation from start to finish, put it plainly: "This stadium will be part of the fabric of Christchurch for the next 20 to 30 years. It was a privilege to be involved."
The people who installed the seats at Te Kaha did more than fit chairs to a platform. They built something their city will use for a generation.
All profits from the Te Kaha contract, and from every other Alloyfold contract, flow directly to Pathway Trust. Since 1997, Pathway has supported around 200 people every year through reintegration programmes, affordable housing, employment support, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Alloyfold is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pathway Charitable Trust.
When Christchurch City Council purchased 25,000 seats from Alloyfold, the commercial return from that contract went straight back into Christchurch. That is not something any other stadium seat supplier in the world can offer a Canterbury project.
How Alloyfold Won the Contract
BESIX Watpac, the main contractor for One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, selected Alloyfold following a competitive shortlist of three suppliers. Mark Baker, Chief Executive Officer of BESIX Watpac: "BESIX Watpac undertook extensive early research to understand the local market, which led us to partners like Alloyfold whose social enterprise model creates benefits far beyond construction while also providing a high-quality product."
Chris Colenso, General Manager of Alloyfold: "This is what the social enterprise model is designed to do. We compete on quality and delivery, and when we win work, the return flows back to people and programmes that make Christchurch safer and stronger. That's the point."
How a Stadium Seating Contract Gets Won
Te Kaha was not won overnight. The full timeline from initial submission to installation completion spanned approximately two years. Understanding how this process works is useful for anyone planning a major venue seating project.
The process involved working within BESIX Watpac's design brief, adapting the Victory seat to the bowl geometry, submitting a fully costed tender, going through a revision round, being shortlisted alongside two other credible suppliers, then re-tendering at the shortlist stage before the contract was awarded.
The earlier a seating supplier is engaged in a project, the better the outcome for everyone. Early engagement allows for proper seat design, competitive tendering, and no compromises forced by time pressure.
If you are in the early stages of planning a stadium, arena, grandstand, or major venue upgrade, this is the moment to start the conversation. Not after the design has been locked.
Our Stadium Seating Range
The Victory seat is Alloyfold's flagship fixed stadium chair, designed for the loads and conditions of real venue environments. It is available in upholstered and unupholstered configurations and suits fixed installation in new-build stadiums, grandstands, regional arenas, university venues, and multipurpose event centres.
For retractable applications, the Axor retractable seating system is available in fixed, recessed, mobile, and custom configurations. Options include motorised, manual, and portable hydraulic systems, with seating from bleacher formats through to fully upholstered individual seats.
Browse the full stadium seating range or view our stadium portfolio to see completed installations across New Zealand and Australia.
More From the Te Kaha Installation
Image credit: BESIX Watpac. See the full project gallery.
Have a Stadium or Venue Project?
The most important step you can take when planning a major venue seating project is to engage your seating supplier early. Bring your architectural drawings, seat count, platform dimensions, and timeline. The further out you are from installation, the more options exist to design the right solution and run a properly competitive process.
Get in touch with the Alloyfold team today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who installed the seats at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha?
Alloyfold supplied and managed the installation of 25,000 permanent Victory seats at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha. The physical installation was carried out by Oak Tree, a labour hire social enterprise within the Pathway Charitable Group, using a crew of up to 12 workers over a nine-month period completed in January 2026.
What seats are in One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha?
The stadium uses the Victory seat by Alloyfold. The main bowl features both unupholstered and upholstered Victory seats across the fixed seating areas. The Field Club uses two mobile retractable systems fitted with upholstered Victory seats and integrated cup holders. The black and grey kōwhaiwhai pattern across the bowl was created by Christchurch artist Morgan Darlison, inspired by the mangōpare (hammerhead shark).
Who supplies stadium seating in New Zealand?
Alloyfold is a New Zealand-based supplier of fixed and retractable stadium seating. We supplied and installed 25,000 seats at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha and have completed stadium and grandstand seating installations across New Zealand and Australia for over 25 years. Our warehouse and operations are based in Christchurch.
What is the best seating for a sports stadium?
The best stadium seat balances spectator comfort, durability under heavy load cycles, ease of cleaning, and safe crowd egress. The Victory seat is designed for sports stadiums with a narrow footprint to maintain sightlines and egress on tighter platform depths, and construction built for the impact and cleaning demands of commercial venue use.
How long does stadium seating last?
Alloyfold's approach is to supply seating that is bought once and maintained over time, not replaced on a short cycle.
Does Alloyfold install stadium seating?
Yes. Alloyfold supplies and manages installation of stadium seating for new-build stadiums, refurbishments, and capacity upgrades. The Te Kaha installation involved a nine-month, 25,000-seat programme managed by Alloyfold and carried out by Oak Tree. Contact us with your project plans and we will scope the supply and installation requirements.