Welcome Party injects Cape Town with 2010 FIFA World Cup™ fever
Spirited fans joined in the Cape Town celebrations tonight. Photos by Ingrid Sinclair
It was a party that only Cape Town could deliver – a thousand vuvuzelas blown by revellers who were dressed up to represent South Africa, to support Bafana Bafana and to show the world, to “show ‘dem”, how it is done here at the southern tip of Africa. Big and small, old and young, ugly and not, it was an incredibly diverse crowd (as cosmopolitan as the Mother City herself) united under one banner – South Africa is ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup™!
Not to be outdone by our sister in the north, Cape Town came out in full support and gates to the Welcome Party, which was held at the Grand Parade (also the site of the FIFA Fan Fest), were closed earlier in the afternoon when the grounds reached capacity.
Facilities at the Fan Fest are top notch, with more than enough bar staff, plenty of visible security and a comfortable amount of space for everyone. If this is a sign of things to come, we are in for one doozy of a party! No-one had anything to complain about and, in fact, complete strangers came together to build an amazing camaraderie.
We even got to take a get a photograph of Cape Town’s favourite weatherman, eTV’s Derek van Dam. A procession of TV characters and mascots, Cape minstrels and other over-the-top but ripe-for-a-celebration individuals were making their way up Darling Street and beyond to complete the Fan Walk in front of thousands of cheering locals and internationals.
But these were not the only interesting characters around tonight. People were sporting their Bafana Bafana shirts, their loudest (and biggest, and most colourful) hats, flags were big and flags were small … It was a festival of colour and sound unlike anything the city has seen. Even babies and toddlers were dressed up in beanies and bright yellow jackets to show their support.
eTV’s Derek van Dam gave the Welcome Party the thumbs-up!
What had been a beautiful winter’s day turned into a gorgeous winter’s night; there was no wind, the sky was clear, Table Mountain was lit up in all her glory, and not a sign of rain.
These are exciting times indeed as Cape Town’s biggest event – and the country’s proudest moment – comes to life. And the best part? It’s all happening here at home. We welcome all the visitors from far and not-so-far away, and we say … Ayoba!
Check out some of the photos from the night here.
See also:
• Welcome the World party in full swing
• Welcome party injects Cape Town with 2010 FIFA World Cup fever
• Awesome concert kicks off 2010 FIFA World Cup
