A huge concert the evening before World Cup kick-off will take place at Orlando Stadium, in Soweto on 10 June 2010 at 20h00.

This mega event is expected to draw leading African and international musos together with present and past football legends.

All proceeds will go to 20 Centres for 2010, a FIFA campaign that aims to build 20 centres in Africa that will offer education, health care and football training to disadvantaged communities.

The concert, the first ever FIFA-sanctioned event taking place on the eve of a World Cup, will be managed by Control Room, the producer of global live entertainment events, in partnership with the City of Johannesburg. The line-up and ticket options will be announced as soon as possible.

"The City of Johannesburg will provide all the necessary services to make the concert a success," says Christa Venter, the City's director: operations 2010. "We will ensure all music fans enjoy themselves in a safe environment."

Executive Mayor, Amos Masondo, said the City was proud to host such a premier cultural event.

"This concert will be broadcast to 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."

Taking place from 11 June to 11 July 2010, the World Cup is expected to attract thousands of football fans from across the world. The tournament will be played at 10 stadiums across the country, including Johannesburg's Soccer City and Ellis Park.

The 40 000-seat Orlando Stadium where the concert will take place is earmarked as one of the training venues for the tournament.

Besides the concert, City is organising a number of parallel events around the tournament, including a theatre show, an art exhibition and a football festival.

The Boys in the Photograph, a musical with a strong football theme, will run from 23 May to 8 August 2010 on the Nelson Mandela Stage at the Joburg Theatre Complex, in Braamfontein.

An art exhibition featuring artists from the continent will take place at Museum Africa in Newtown from 11 May to 11 July. Dubbed Artists of Africa, the exhibition will showcase the continent's diverse cultures and talented artists.

An event leaning more towards football, the Football for Hope Festival will take place from 3 to 10 July at Number 3 Square in Alexandra. This forms part of the Football for Hope Movement, a FIFA and Street-football-world initiative to increase the impact of football as a tool for peace, social development and change.

Source: Johannesburg News Agency: http://www.joburg.org.za