2010 FIFA Official World Cup Kick-Off Concert on June 10, 2010

Written on June 8, 2010

The first FIFA World Cup™ on the African continent may be scheduled to kick off on 11 June 2010 but the event begins in earnest the night before with the inaugural FIFA World Cup™ Kick-off Celebration Concert.

Billed as the greatest entertainment event to date in Africa, the concert will be staged at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg and feature musical performances by international superstars in collaboration with major African artists, as well as football legends from the past and the present, as well as  celebrities from other fields.

This three-hour celebratory extravaganza, which will bring together the two universal passions of football and music before a capacity stadium audience of 30,000, will be broadcast to millions more worldwide. It is scheduled to begin at 8.00pm local time (GMT+2) on 10 June.

FIFA has selected Emmy Award-winning producer Kevin Wall and his company Control Room to organise and produce the concert. Control Room has masterminded some of the world’s biggest and most complex events, such as Live Earth 2007, which featured 150 artists performing on seven continents over the course of 24 hours to raise awareness of climate change.

“We believe sports and music transcend cultural, language and geographic barriers, and through the official FIFA World Cup Kick–off Celebration Concert, Control Room will present the sights and sounds of unity and celebration for an unforgettable, must-see experience,” said Wall.

All net 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 and 1GOAL - a campaign to call on our world leaders to make education for every child the lasting legacy of this World Cup.

“We are thrilled to have a concert of such magnitude and performing talent raise the curtain on the first FIFA World Cup on African soil,” said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke. “It is testament to the universal and unifying power of football and music and will start the competition off on the right note – of celebration.”

LIVE BROADCAST - US TELEVISION

• The concert will be broadcast live on ESPN2 on June 10 - 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT
• The concert will be broadcast on June 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC

LIVE BROADCAST ONLINE

The world’s biggest superstars will come together live on VEVO June 10 from Soweto/Johannesburg, South Africa for the FIFA WORLD CUP™ KICK–OFF CELEBRATION CONCERT. Watch once in a lifetime performances from Alicia Keys, Amadou & Mariam, Angélique Kidjo, Black Eyed Peas, BLK JKS, John Legend, Juanes, Shakira, The Parlotones, Tinariwen, Vieux Farka Touré and Vusi Mahlasela, in addition to other international superstars, which will also be exclusively available on demand afterwards only on VEVO.

Tune in at: http://worldcup.vevo.com/

THE ARTISTS

This first-ever event will showcase the rich cultural diversity and musical heritage of South Africa and the African continent, while engaging a worldwide audience through performances by internationally-recognized artists

Nearly 70 percent of the artists performing at the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert are African.

• Alicia Keys
• Angelique Kidjo
• Amadou & Mariam
• Black Eyed Peas
• Blk Jks
• Freshlyground
• Hugh Masekela
• John Legend
• Juanes
• K'Naan
• Mzansi Youth Choir
• Shakira
• Soweto Gospel Choir
• The Parlotones
• Tinariwen
• Vieux Farka Toure
• Vusi Mahlasela

MORE INFORMATION

See the World Cup Concert Video Promo: http://dipmusic.dipdive.com/media/135283

Read more at the Official FIFA World Cup Celebration Concert Website

Read the original Press Release: First-Ever FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert