Germany, England and Danny K at the FIFA Fan Fest today
Danny K performs at the FIFA Fan Fest. Photo by Deon Gurling
There was a lot of excitement at the FIFA Fan Fest in Cape Town tonight as German and English fans converged at the popular public viewing area to witness the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Round of 16 match between their respective football squads. German supporters’ black, yellow and red colours were easily distinguishable from the English supporters’ red and white, but other nations’ supporters were there too: white and blue for Argentina, who play Mexico tonight at Soccer City, lots of yellow Bafana Bafana shirts and a lone Netherlands fan making his way through the crowd… His nation faces Slovakia in Durban tomorrow afternoon.
In what is becoming a surprise-filled tournament, England’s hopes were shattered today. Their 4-1 loss to Germany marks their exit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. England’s fans were visibly disappointed, but the majority stayed at the Fan Fest and joined their German rivals for a Danny K-fuelled party that started shortly after 18:00.
Danny K is one of South Africa’s most popular performers and the crowd clearly enjoyed his show tonight. While he might not be the strongest performer vocally, his energy more than compensates and he also gets many a heart throbbing. It was nice to see a local singer play an instrument, too, as Danny got behind the keyboard and supported his band.
The Who’s That Girl? singer also performed a healthy dose of cover songs, including Terence Trent D’arby’s Wishing Well, Coldplay’s The Scientist, and a line or two from Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind. The selection of songs was diverse enough to please the equally diverse crowd, half of whom welcomed any way of forgetting the day’s let down, and half of whom didn’t really need yet another reason to celebrate.
Ready to party! Photo by Ingrid Sinclair
The FIFA Fan Fest on Cape Town’s Grand Parade has been filled to capacity almost every day and remains one of the most popular viewing areas in town. For the thousands of local and international visitors who continue to come for the party, this stunning location next to City Hall will probably form the bulk of their 2010 FIFA World Cup™ memories. And just because it’s full up doesn’t mean it’s uncomfortable – there’s lots of space, excellent facilities and many, many happy faces.
The party goes on here as Mexico and Argentina prepare to take the field in Johannesburg; celebrations and commiserations are expected to continue into the night.
See also:
• Danny K at FIFA Fan Fest in Cape Town – Photos
• High emotion at FIFA Fan Fest for Germany-England clash – Photos
