An expected crowd of 33,000 are being encouraged to arrive early at Wellington’s Sky Stadium for New Zealand’s FIFA Women’s World Cup match against the Philippines.
The game kicks off at 5.30pm on Tuesday July 25 and the size of the crowd means organisers are keen to get everyone to their seat as efficiently as possible.
READ MORE: Another sold-out stadium expected for Fern’s match against the Philippines >>>>
The game time clashes with commuter rush hour in the capital.
Sky Stadium have gone to their social media channels saying: “We have one important message for all fans attending: ARRIVE EARLY!”
Gates open at 3.30pm.
Getting to the stadium
Your match ticket includes being able to use Wellington’s Metlink public transport for free, when travelling to and from the stadium.
Metlink have said they will put on their maximum transport resources to meet the demands of the match.
(See train times below).
A number of spectators had problems getting to the stadium by train for the first Wellington fixture, between Sweden and South Africa.
A Metlink representative told Stuff a “late surge” in travel demand appeared to have been caused by passengers delaying their travel to avoid bad weather, meaning more trains were full closer to kick-off.
“We are reviewing our approach to subsequent games, taking into account the way fans have used public transport for the first two games.”
Maximum capacity for Metlink services — six and eight car trains instead of two and four — would be provided, the spokesperson said.
Passengers should travel “well in advance” of kick-off.
“Not only does this help with capacity on public transport but also with access to the bus interchange, train station and the stadium.”
Getting into the stadium
Key tips to help spectators enter the stadium quickly include:
- Don’t try to buy tickets at the gate — there are no gate sales, and the only tickets available online are limited wheelchair seating.
- Have your tickets ready on your FIFA mobile phone app when you approach the turnstile, with screen brightness turned up.
- Be ready for a bags check and know in advance which items are prohibited (see here). Bags are to be no bigger than 30cm x 40cm, soft-sided and must fit under the seat.
- Pre-match entertainment starts 30 minutes before kick-off, so fans should plan to be in seats by then to watch the team welcomes onto the field, national anthems and kick-off.
Tips for fans attending games
READ MORE: Going to a game at the FIFA Women’s World Cup? Here are some tips for fans >>>>
More football stories
