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Address: Anzac Avenue, Dunedin
Country: New Zealand
Capacity: 30,000
Opened: 5 August 2011
Main Use: Rugby Union
Tenants: Highlanders (Rugby Union)
Forsyth Barr Stadium, located in the heart of Dunedin, is widely recognized as one of the most innovative sports venues in the Southern Hemisphere. Officially opened in August 2011, it became the world’s first fully enclosed stadium featuring natural turf, setting a new benchmark for stadium design and event flexibility.
With a seating capacity of 30,000, the stadium is designed to host rugby union, football, concerts, community events, and large-scale entertainment. Its strategic location close to the University of Otago and Dunedin Railway Station makes it easily accessible for both local fans and international visitors.
Forsyth Barr Stadium was designed with a strong emphasis on all-weather usability, making it the only major venue in New Zealand capable of hosting events 365 days a year regardless of climate.
Transparent ETFE Roof:
The signature feature of the stadium is its 20,500 m² ETFE roof, allowing natural light to nourish the natural grass surface while providing full weather protection.
Natural Grass Surface in an Indoor Environment:
The venue is internationally noted for successfully maintaining a high-quality natural turf under full enclosure—something rarely achieved in global stadium architecture.
Modern Bowl Design:
Provides excellent sightlines from every seat, suitable for both sports spectators and concert audiences.
Multi-use Interior Space:
The fully covered bowl allows configurations for sporting events, music stages, exhibitions, trade shows, and motorsport drifting.
These advanced features have made Forsyth Barr Stadium a model study case for architects and stadium engineers worldwide.
The stadium serves as the home ground for the Highlanders, Dunedin’s professional Super Rugby team. The atmosphere created under the enclosed roof is unique in New Zealand, amplifying crowd noise and enhancing the match-day experience.
As one of the premier rugby venues in New Zealand, Forsyth Barr Stadium regularly hosts:
Super Rugby matches
National Provincial Championship (NPC) fixtures
International rugby tests and touring teams
The stadium has also been a significant home venue for Southern United FC, who played numerous matches here in New Zealand’s top football competitions. Several international exhibition matches and domestic tournaments have also been held on the pitch.
The stadium’s flexibility has allowed it to host occasional rugby league events, bringing major matches and fan festivals to the South Island.
Just weeks after opening, Forsyth Barr Stadium played a key role in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, hosting multiple group-stage matches. This early involvement in a global tournament not only showcased the venue’s capabilities but also established Dunedin as an important host city for large-scale events.
The success of these matches reinforced the stadium’s reputation as one of the most efficient and fan-friendly venues in the region.
Forsyth Barr Stadium is highly regarded as one of New Zealand’s best concert arenas due to its fully enclosed environment, natural acoustics, and large capacity. Major international artists and touring bands have chosen the venue because it offers an all-weather guarantee, ensuring no cancellations due to rain or wind.
Its versatility also supports:
Cultural festivals
University events
Exhibitions and conventions
Motorsport drifting competitions
Community gatherings and family shows
This multi-functional capability significantly boosts Dunedin’s tourism and economy.
The stadium has become a central hub for entertainment in the Otago region. It attracts visitors nationwide during major sports and music events, contributing millions of dollars annually to the local economy. Its proximity to the university also strengthens community involvement, making it an integral part of Dunedin’s cultural identity.
First fully roofed natural-turf stadium globally
All-weather event capability
Home to elite rugby and football teams
Proven track record in hosting world-class events
Highly flexible design supporting multiple event types
Recognized internationally for architectural innovation
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With the craze of sport games in the night, and more professional events are played at night, people desire for lighting to play at the very beginning so now people more concern about the quality of lighting, we believe that the glare produced by ordinary lamps can no longer meet the athletes’ pursuit of sensory experience. But now, thanks to developments in MECREE’s sports lighting technology, our precise control and anti-glare lighting makes it possible for sports men and women to perform at their best and enjoy the best sports experience.
There is increasing concern for the problems created by unwanted light at night,such as light pollution and light trespass, result in various types of complaints. Particularly with increasing awareness of environmental problems of all types, it is important that lighting designers recognize the need to control problems related to the general subjects of “Light Pollution” and “Light Trespass.” So we have tried every effort to develope a newest optical technology to solve the problem.
Currently common traditional stadium lights model for some international stadiums as below:
MVF406/1800W, HNF003, MVF401, MVF403, MVF024, EF-2000, YOA56305, YOAX56400, 2kW: HQI-TS 2000WDS, 2kW: HQI-TS 1000WDS, MHN-SA 2KW 400V/956, MHN-SB/HO 2KW 400V/956, LPW2000M/D, LPW1000MB/L, LPP2000MHN-SA, LPP2000MHN-SB.
There is big problem that traditional lamps can not cannot meet the needs of 4K and 8K high-definition broadcast and huge energy consumption.
With the strengthening of environmental lighting awareness and the pursuit of high-quality lighting, there is a trend to replace traditional lamps by high quality of LED Stadium Lights.
MECREE has launched the following series of LED Sport Stadium Lighting:
MECREE’s specially engineered precision lighting control is designed to meet the needs of such users. The polarized light range of 65-73° is defined as the P73-L and A65 series products, which deliver an unparalleled visual experience while offering access to thousands of IES profiles.
Our precisely engineered optics of polarized light aim light directly onto the field of play, to shine uniformly and to minimize glare. Outdoor venues benefit from spill light control, no more skyglow and no more complaints from the neighbors.
1. Such light shield is useless,just misleading customers.
2. As tested it will cause 30% reduction of light output
3. While 70% still have high overflow
4. Unbearable strong glare
5. Waste energy,outdated reflective technology
The power supply and lamp body can be mounted separately, reducing the withstand weight of the lamp pole and facilitating maintenance.
Customized crossarms are available to meet all your existing old poles without replacing the main rod, crossarms bolt directly to light pole, easy and accurate installation saves time, ensures performance, safety and reliability,also lower the budget.
In current sports lighting projects, high-altitude light calibration is recognized as a major efficiency bottleneck. The process carries high safety risks, is prone to aiming deviations, and involves cumbersome installation and removal procedures, making it difficult to achieve the required uniformity.
MECREE’s innovative laser aiming mount was designed precisely to address these issues. It revolutionizes the workflow through three key advantages:
Easy Installation: With a simple design, it allows rapid mounting and dismounting, significantly lowering the operational threshold.
Precise Aiming: Ensures accurate laser alignment, fundamentally guaranteeing uniform illumination and compliance with lighting standards.
Efficient Operation: Reduces labor and time costs by up to 80%. Calibrating 200 fixtures at height previously took 20 days; now the same workload can be completed in just 4 days.
Choosing MECREE means choosing a safer, more precise, and highly efficient sports lighting solution.
We are not only a manufacturer of high-power LEDs, More professional services are also included:
Through lighting simulation calculations and programming of light show designs, solutions oriented towards either visual effects or cost-effectiveness are provided. Design of Lighthouse, parameters required for building foundation, (axial force, shear force, bending force). High power generator set supporting,circuit design service,cable supply. We are your best supply chain manager! We are committed to providing you with a one-stop solution. We focus on the research, design, and manufacturing of our products, delivering customized and energy-efficient lighting system solutions for all types of sports venues and multifunctional facilities.The details are as follows:high-power sports lighting、arena night lighting retrofit、smart stadium lighting control、energy-efficient LED stadium lights、stadium lighting power supply optimization、broadcast-quality sports lighting、large venue lighting retrofit、adjustable brightness and color temperature lighting、LED floodlight installation and upgrade、stadium lighting maintenance and management、energy-saving lighting solutions for stadiums、multi-purpose venue lighting design、night game lighting optimization.
Guangzhou, China – June 2026 – The 31st Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE), one ...
MECREE sincerely invite you meet us on the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition, 9th-12th...
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