2010 FIFA World Cup™ Weekend – A Retrospective comment count

• News
• June 15, 2010 ∥
• By Roy Barford

The FIFA Fan Fest™ area. Photo courtesy Stephen Lamb

The final whistle has sounded on the first weekend of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and what a series of magic moments it was for South Africa! Orlando Stadium erupted with the sound of top local and international artists, the streets of the Mother City were filled with a kaleidoscope of colour and sound and Bafana Bafana made an entire nation’s hearts swell with pride when they scored the first magnificent goal of the World Cup. 

Words almost escape one when trying to express the sights, sounds and spirit of Cape Town but the past weekend is equally impressive when expressed in figures. A staggering 350 000 people visited the city centre on June 11, 2010, with all of the fan venues being extremely successful and a great “jol” being had by all. 

Cape Town Stadium hosted the largest number of spectators to date on Friday, June 11, with 64 100 people watching the France vs Uruguay game. Resounding with the buzz of vuvuzelas, the stadium sounded like a giant bumblebee. If there was a time that the vuvuzela was a secret weapon for South Africa, however, that time has passed, as enthusiastic Uruguayan and French fans gave it their all. On Monday, June 14, fans from Italy and Paraguay filled Cape Town Stadium and Italian supporters coloured the Fan Fest™ azzurri blue before making their way to the stadium en masse to fly the flag. 

On June 11, approximately 20 000 fans came into the city by train, 11 000 spectators used the MyCiTi shuttle to get to the stadium and a further 20 000 spectators pounded the cobbled pavement of the Fan Walk – stopping along the way to enjoy a bite to eat, stare at a street performer or appreciate a local design piece. 

The FIFA Fan Fest™ rocked the Mother City, reaching capacity a little over an hour after it opened, with a total of 42 000 people visiting the Fan Fest™ throughout the course of the day. By 16h00 on Friday, all four of the city’s fan jols reached their capacity. A further 100 000 people enjoyed the matches and festivities at the V&A Waterfront and an estimated 250 000 people celebrated in the city centre, along the Fan Walk, at the FIFA Fan Fest™ and in the surrounding restaurants and pubs. 

FIFA, soccer’s governing body, has given the past weekend’s proceedings a thumbs up, saying that they were very happy with the kick-off concert, the atmosphere at the stadiums and the behaviour of fans. 

It’s important to note that the fan jols are only open on Cape Town match days, and for Bafana Bafana games, the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. Crowds arrived at the jols on Saturday and Sunday past only to be met with disappointment. Capetonians and visitors are reminded to depart at least three-and-a-half hours before their matches are set to start, to travel lightly since security have to search all backpacks and items that are brought into the stadium, causing delays, and to leave their umbrellas at home. as this is a prohibited item at Cape Town Stadium.

As we prepare for an English invasion, with an expected 25 000 English supporters arriving in the city this week for the England vs Algeria match on Friday, the Queen herself would have nodded approvingly at the sight of the entertainment line-up. Legendary British DJ Fatboy Slim will be bringing the roof down at the CTICC on Friday and the likes of Loyiso and LiquiDeep are performing at the FIFA Fan Fest™. 

Visit http://www.capetown.travel/2010 for more information on the World Cup events calendar, public transportation and the latest blogs and articles on the proceedings.