Christchurch is known for its world-class events, with Vbase venues alone hosting 1,800 events annually. But in the February earthquake many venues have been damaged. At the moment everyone is working hard to get them back up and running as soon as possible.

So far, preliminary assessments showed that Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch Town Hall and AMI Stadium have suffered structural and superficial damage. Christchurch Art Gallery has been engaged to remove artworks from the Convention Centre and Town Hall, but so far it’s not clear when exactly the two venues can reopen. Mayor Bob Parker says:  “We need a clear understanding of the scale of work required to preserve this wonderful building. We are determined to ensure the Town Hall continues to be one of the defining features of our city. Christchurch Convention Centre is also very important to us as a city.”

Work at Christchurch’s AMI Stadium is underway and the stadium will be closed for the remainder of 2011. AMI Stadium is expected to open again in February 2012, right in time for the Super Rugby and the South African cricket tour of New Zealand.

The CBS Canterbury Arena, on the other hand, is back open already. The CBS Canterbury Arena Ticketek Box Office is open five days a week from 8am till 7pm for ticket sales. One of the biggest upcoming events is the International Ice Hockey USA vs Canada event on 30 July 2011.