"I am waiting for his visit quite impatiently," the Venerable Geshe Jampa Tenzin, of Dunedin, said through Tibetan interpreter Losang Dawa yesterday.
"It's very important. He's a world figure who has dedicated his life to serving people in a secular way."
The 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner previously visited Dunedin in 1992 and 1996, when he held public talks in the Dunedin Town Hall.
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd chief executive David Davies hosted a stadium tour yesterday for Dalai Lama Visit Trust New Zealand trustee Neil Cameron, of Auckland, the Ven Jampa Tenzin and Dhargyey Buddhist Centre director Peter Small.
The Dalai Lama will address the south stand from a stage set up on the pitch on June 11 next year.
"I think it is a great place. It is ideal. It is fitting we honour him by providing the best possible venue," the Ven Jampa Tenzin said.
"It's a venue that Dunedin can show off to the world. But, speaking personally, from His Holiness' point of view, it's not the venue that is as important as the people. He has been to many places around the world and spoken to people in great venues and in humble abodes. If they are happy, then it will make him happy."
The Dunedin visit would be a highlight of the Dalai Lama's three-day New Zealand tour, Mr Cameron said.
"We're very impressed with the venue. It has a unique feel to it which will enhance the event. It is such a natural setting for His Holiness to speak.
"We're bringing someone here who is an amazing human being with a great sense of humour, who people will enjoy listening to. And we've been talking to the city council, chamber of commerce and university about engaging the community."
