FIFA Fan Fest™
Searching for a party during the World Cup™? Then look no further than the Grand Parade in Cape Town, because this is where you will find the FIFA Fan Fest™, the official viewing area with an authentic stadium atmosphere in the city centre.
Click here to visit the FIFA Fan Fest™ website.
Here local soccer fans will rub shoulders with visitors from all over the world while watching the matches and highlights on a big screen. Live performances by local artists on a huge stage and sound system will entertain fans in between matches. Food and drinks, official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ merchandising and local arts and crafts will also be on display or for sale.
The Fan Fest™ will be open every day of the Competition, from 10:00 to midnight, with live broadcasts of all 64 matches. Entrance is free.
The Grand Parade, newly upgraded by the City of Cape Town at a cost of around R22 million, can host up to 25 000 people. It is Cape Town’s oldest public space and one of its most important heritage sites - where Nelson Mandela first spoke to the world as a free man 20 years ago.
With its superb view of Table Mountain, it is within walking distance of the historic Bo-Kaap and District Six revitalisation initiative, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the Castle, the City Hall, Parliament, St George’s Cathedral and, of course – via the Fan Walk – the Green Point Urban Park and Cape Town Stadium. The site is also close to central city hotels and tourism offices.
The Grand Parade is highly accessible to public transport: it is next to the Cape Town Station and directly linked to the network of buses, minibus taxis and the new pedestrian routes to the station.
The Fan Fest is merely one of the events that will be hosted at this location in future - the space has been transformed into a multi-functional area capable of accommodating sporting events, music festivals, concerts, military tattoos and food festivals.
Public Viewing Areas - Fan 'Jols'
For anyone who can’t make it to the central city on match days, the City has set up four official Public Viewing Areas (PVAs) in greater Cape Town: at the Vygieskraal Public Viewing Area, Bellville Velodrome, the Swartklip Sport Complex (Mitchells Plain) and the Oliver Tambo Centre (Khayelitsha).
These fan 'jols' (an Afrikaans slang term for 'party') will be open on all Cape Town match days, all Bafana Bafana games throughout the tournament, and all knock-out games, to give residents the opportunity to watch the games live on giant screens (as well as be entertained by dancers, music and other festivities). Venues are open from 11:00 – 23:00, and entrance is free.
A similar system was used in Tshwane during the Confederations Cup, and it was a great success, with almost 12 000 people attending some of the four venues.
PVAs are not official FIFA or FIFA World Cup™ venues, so there will be no official branding or sponsorship. You will therefore be able to buy food, drinks and other goods that are not the products of official FIFA sponsors.
Each venue will have all the necessary first aid, a VIP area, disabled access, media services, security, a grandstand, information kiosks, generators and waste management.
We recommend that you arrive at least three hours before the match kicks off, if you want to find yourself a seat or standing room. Viewing sites will be closed – and no further spectators will be allowed in – once they are full.
Vygieskraal Public Viewing Area
There will be a PVA at Vygieskraal Stadium, which is off Klipfontein Road in Athlone. This is accessible via Athlone station. Tips on getting there:
* Aim to arrive at least three hours before the match begins.
* If you live close enough, aim to get there on foot. Most main walking routes are only 1km or so in distance, and there will be a dedicated pedestrian space where you will be able to spill out of the community-viewing site after the game.
* If you plan to drive, make sure you have at least three or four passengers – parking is limited to 2 500 cars.
* If it’s a daytime match, take the train: remember, though, that you’ll be sharing this mode of transport with commuters using the service to get to and from work. Watch this space, though, as the City is working with Metrorail to provide extended rail services for soccer fans during match days.
* Use the Park-and-Ride (PnR) facility, where you'll be able to park your vehicle at a secure site and take the shuttle (or walk) to the PVA.
Bellville Velodrome
The Bellville Velodrome, which is able to host about 7 500 spectators, is only 3km from Bellville rail station and in the midst of a well-developed road network.
Tips on getting there:
* Aim to arrive at least three hours before the match begins.
* If you live close enough, aim to get there on foot. Most main walking routes are only 1km or so in distance, and there will be a dedicated pedestrian space where you will be spill out of the community-viewing site after the game.
* If you plan to drive, make sure you have at least three or four passengers – parking is limited to 4 500 cars.
* Bear in mind that the nearby Willie van Schoor Road and Durban Road will experience traffic congestion during rush hour, because of their connection to the N1. However, the other surrounding roads still have reasonable capacity.
* If you’re planning to drive, be patient with pedestrians as the main intersections will be controlled to make it easier and safer for people walking to and from the site.
* If it’s a daytime match, take the train: remember, though, that you’ll be sharing this mode of transport with commuters using the service to get to and from work. Watch this space, though, as the City is working the Metrorail to provide extended rail services for soccer fans during match days.
* Use the Park-and-Walk facility, where you’re able to park your vehicle at a secure site to the stadium.
Swartklip Sports Complex, Mitchells Plain
Swartklip can accommodate about 2 000 people indoors, and another 30 000 or so people outdoors. It is easy to access – close to major road transport routes, and within walking distance for residents from Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. There’s plenty of parking for buses, taxis and private vehicles.
The venue, although new, already has a proven track record, with the recent Jazz Festival that hosted 18 000 people, 120 buses and 80 minibus taxis.
Oliver Tambo, Khayelitsha
Oliver Tambo community hall is one of the premier indoor facilities in Cape Town, and is ideally located close to the N2 highway. The site offers excellent access to people from Khayelitsha as well as surrounding areas, such as Mfuleni, Macassar and Driftsands, and has a capacity of around 7 000 (indoor with an surrounding outdoor sports area).
so the Durban fan park is going to be my course of action!!
