Two major events at Mt Smart Stadium couldn’t be more different, yet the same Regional Facilities Auckland team has
worked on both and is set to host tens of thousands of thrill-seeking fans this weekend.
Just two days after the U2 juggernaut left town, the pack-in started for today’s (Saturday’s) adrenaline-packed SX Open
supercross event.
Mt Smart Stadium has been transformed for New Zealand’s largest-ever international Supercross and off-road motorcycling
event. Thousands of tons of soil – more than 200 truckloads – have been used to create a 643-metre long dirt track.
The SX Open track has been specially created for Mt Smart. With two diggers plus 11 additional machines maneuvering 6000
tonnes or 214 truckloads of dirt over four days, the track has built to provide-action packed supercross racing.
It involved creating a jigsaw of approximately 3,000 ply boards covered in more than 11,000 square metres of geo fabric,
then covered in soil. Once the event is over, the soil will be removed and stockpiled for future use.
“Auckland is the entertainment capital of New Zealand. With every large stadium event, our city – its venues,
accommodation, restaurants and attractions - gets a boost,” Regional Facilities Auckland CEO Chris Brooks says.
“We are excited to demonstrate the versatility of Mt Smart Stadium and the talent of our teams. They simultaneously
worked on a week-long installation and pack out for these two massive events – each with completely different
requirements. From events staff to cleaning teams, security and facilities managers, they have pulled together through a
demanding schedule to deliver each successfully.”
The U2 concert and SX Open are part of a packed season for RFA, with almost 400,000 fans flocking to its stadium venues
over the summer. The calendar of events is estimated to bring in millions for the local economy and will be the busiest
summer stadium concert season in the organisation’s ten-year history.