NELSON MANDELA BAY FAN FEST OPENING TONIGHT

THE fun and festivities begin tonight (subs-Thurs June 10) with the opening of the Nelson Mandela Bay FIFA Fan Fest™ - which will see a host of national performers entertaining spectators, before a live cross-over on South Africa’s biggest hi-tech screen to the country’s opening ceremony at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg.

Also attending and speaking at tonight’s celebratory event will be Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet, Eastern Cape Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture MEC Xoliswa Tom and Acting Nelson Mandela Bay Deputy Mayor Nancy Sihlwayi.

The Fan Fest™ at the St George’s Park cricket grounds will kick-off on a high note at 5pm with a lively performance by world sought after, DJ Smoke.

This will be followed by well-known traditional Xhosa dance group Uphondo Lwe Afrika, who returned from performing in the United Kingdom and on Broadway in New York last month.

Other performers such as Vstar and Zuma the Beatbox will also keep spectators entertained until just after 7pm, after which the NMB 2010 Directorate will address spectators on what to expect at the Fan Fest™ during the World Cup.

Deputy Mayor Sihlwayi will then speak, followed by MEC Tom who will talk on the province’s state of readiness for the 2010 World Cup. The MEC will then introduce Premier Kiviet.

Also of great excitement is that the names of eleven Eastern Cape children from disadvantaged backgrounds – chosen as part of the MacDonald’s Player Escort Programme – will also be announced at tonight’s Fan Fest.

The programme provides an opportunity for children between the ages of six and ten to walk hand-in-hand with their football heroes onto the World Cup pitches before millions of people.

The moment South Africa and the world has been waiting for will begin at 8pm, with a live cross over on the hi-tech screen to Orlando Stadium. The audio-visual feast is being billed as "the greatest entertainment event to date in Africa".

The concert boasts a line-up of local, African and international stars, including Alicia Keys, Amadou and Mariam, Angelique Kidjo, the Black Eyed Peas, BLK JKS, John Legend, Juanes, Shakira, the Parlotones, Tinariwen, Vieux Farka Touré and Vusi Mahlasela.

Football legends past and present, as well as celebrities from other fields, will also be a part of the event, which ends at 10pm.

All proceeds from the concert will be donated to "20 Centres for 2010", the official campaign of the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™, which aims to build 20 centres across Africa , offering education and healthcare services as well as football training to disadvantaged communities.

The Fan Fest™ will be free of charge and will operate on match days from 11 June to 11 July 2010, from 11am till late. It will serve as the destination for locals and tourists to view all 64 matches live - designed to accommodate those avid football fans who cannot attend all the games at the stadium.

To ensure all visitors and residents enjoy an unforgettable experience, extensive security personnel and medical facilities will be present during the Fan Fest™.

Parking will be available at the adjacent Union Olympics Sports Complex, as well as at the Kings Beach Hub, from where people can be transported to St George’s Park and back.

Ten specially adapted vehicles will serve people with special needs during the World Cup. In addition, wheelchair ramps will be provided at designated pick up points at the Fan Fest, Kings Beach Transport Hub, airport and stadium.

Fans, both young and old, will be kept occupied over the next month at the Fan Fest with plenty of entertainment, such as live musical performances, as well as interactive activities for the entire family: all guaranteed to provide an authentic African football experience.

Some of the artists to look forward to during the World Cup include Uitenhage-born R&B sensation Loyiso Bala, who will perform on July 7 at 7pm. Top-charting South African band Just Jinger will perform on June 24 at 7pm and Somalia-born rapper K’Naan will perform on July 2 at 3pm.

A limit of 25 000 people will be allowed into the Fan Fest™, on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, the safety and security of people will be paramount and, as such, the limit on the number of people allowed in will be reduced if necessary.

Fan Fest™ visitors will not be allowed to bring in food or alcohol, as both authorised formal and informal food and beverage traders will be operating within the Fan Fest™ area.

The Fan Fest and Fan Zone area will also offer formal and informal traders, companies, artists and crafters the opportunity to promote and sell their products, services and talents.

St George’s Park’s main field will be used for the Fan Fest sponsors’ exhibition, the main stage and the 75m² screen.

The B field will include third party exhibitions and five-a-side soccer arenas for tournaments including under 12, under 16 and open mens and ladies teams, additional food and beverage stands, a UNICEF Marquee, a Tourism Information Centre, tourism exhibition stalls, a ‘Craft in Action Marquee’, an African hand craft area as well as fan embassies for foreign visitors.

Eastern Cape businesses will also have the opportunity to hire hospitality suites at the Duckpond and Centenary Pavilions, ten or eight seater tables at the Bojangles Club or tiered seating inside the Long Room.

The Fan Zone comprises of Whites/Western Road, Donkin Street, Clyde and Parliament Street, Rink Street, St George’s Park and Govan Mbeki Avenue and includes the newly established Café society hub along Irvine, Stanley and Raleign Street . It was established by the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to afford the people of the Eastern Cape the opportunity to share in the local economic development that the World Cup has promised.

The aim is to create a carnival atmosphere with a balanced entertainment programme, combining all genres – from brass bands and hip-hop artists to jazz, classical pop and cultural dance groups. A specially dedicated stage has been constructed within the Fan Zone to expose local talent from the Eastern Cape. Furthermore, buskers and individuals with other unique talents - such as magicians, balloon artists or clowns - will be able to showcase their talents.

A non-stop shuttle service operating daily from 9am till 12pm, will transport people from various pick-up-points through the Fan Zone, taking in arts and culture, crafts, historical sites, restaurants and entertainment venues.

For further information, contact:

Disability Help Desk number: 082- 2006-393

Transport Operations Centre (TOC): 0860 13 12 13

TOC email: petoc@nmbmits.co.za