FIFA to produce kick-off celebration concert

Kicking off the FIFA World Cup on 10 June 2010 at 8pm (GMT +2), at the newly renovated Orlando Stadium in Soweto, this historic three-hour live concert event will showcase the music, sport and visual pageantry of South Africa. The event will feature musical performances by major international superstars and popular African artists collaborating together, along with special appearances by past and present football legends, and will be broadcast to networks around the world for what is expected to be the greatest entertainment event to date on the African continent. All net proceeds will benefit “20 Centres for 2010”, the official campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke said: “This is the first time that the FIFA World Cup will be played in Africa and what better way to celebrate such a momentous occasion than with a festival of live music from Africa and beyond. This kick-off celebration will be one of the greatest events of its kind in Africa and a must-see for football and music fans around the world.”

The FIFA World Cup football tournament is the world's most watched sporting event, and is staged every four years. This is the first time the FIFA World Cup is being held on the African continent, with 32 national teams from all over the world playing matches in 10 South African stadiums in the hope of being crowned World Champions. The last FIFA World Cup in Germany attracted a global cumulative television audience of 26.29 billion (24.2 billion in-home and 2.1 billion out-of-home viewers).

Fans in for a huge treat

“There are few things in life that can kindle such widespread passion as football, but music is without doubt one of them. With this celebratory kick-off event, football fans are in for a huge treat,” said Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa.

“Johannesburg has a deep and rich tradition in the arts and is proud to play host to such a premier cultural event. This concert will be broadcast into hundreds of millions of homes around the world and we will do everything we can to help ensure that those attending and watching on TV cherish the experience for a lifetime,” said Amos Masondo, executive mayor of Johannesburg.

The international and African artists who will be performing at the Official FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert on 10 June 2010, plus special appearances and ticketing information, will be announced at a later date.

Kevin Wall, Control Room founder, said, “We are honoured to have been selected by FIFA to organize and produce this first-ever event for the world's largest sport. We believe sports and music transcend cultural, language and geographic barriers, and through this international event, we will present the sights and sounds of unity and celebration for an unforgettable experience of which all will want to be a part.”

As the executive producer of the concert, Control Room will develop the creative vision, identify broadcast partnerships, secure global sponsorships, select artists for performances and bring well-known football players, celebrities and culturally significant representatives to participate in this first-ever global event to kick-off this historic FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Control Room is led by president Aaron Grosky, co-executive producer of this FIFA event. In addition, Lily Sobhani, who served as worldwide events producer for the Live Earth 2007 event, will again take the reigns as a producer.

Control Room has conceptualised some of the world's biggest and most complex events including, Live Earth 2007 which featured 150 artists performing on seven continents over the course of 24 hours to raise awareness for climate change.

For more information about the Official FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert, please visit www.controlroom.com/ FIFAworldcupconcert.