2010 has seen a mishmash of international musicians play on our local stages, and it looks like 2011 is set to be even bigger! Bands like Crowded House, 30 Seconds to Mars and for the FIFA World Cup, Black Eyed Peas, Shakira and John Legend have wowed southern African crowds no end but there’s still more to come.
International rock band, U2, will be playing to packed stadiums in South Africa on 13 (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg) and 18 (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town) February 2011. Their 360 degree tour is already making waves in the sea of speculation that is South African fans. This is the first time they return to our soil since the 1998 PopMart Tour.
What makes their return even more exciting is that the Irish band will be the first to perform live concerts in the Soccer World Cup stadia in both Johannesburg and Cape Town and so will be making history.
U2’s 360 degree tour will see them completely surrounded by their fans, one of their signature setups for the best live performances. Their tour has been announced alongside the release of their “U2: Duals”, a new CD of U2 Collaborations.
Leg one of the 360 degree tour began in 2009; leg two began in August of this year in Turin, Italy. So far they’ve shared the international stages with guests such as Kasabian, Snow Patrol, Razorlight, One Republic, Interpol and JAY Z. The supporting acts for Johannesburg and Cape Town have yet to be confirmed, but it’s unlikely that will change any fan’s mind about going to the concert. The tour will continue throughout the first half of 2011 and only end in July of next year. The last performance is scheduled to be performed in Pittsburgh, US.
People lined up outside Computicket outlets around the country for hours last month and rumours circulated that the show was sold out within hours. It’s unsure how correct that is as it is still possible to select tickets on Computicket’s website.
U2 played a “blistering 24-song set” in Auckland, New Zealand on November 26, and the crowd went crazy. The band has visited the Kiwis five times now and at the concert they were screaming for more. They now move onto Melbourne, Australia to perform shows there on 1 and 3 December before continuing to Brisbane, Sydney and Perth, after which they will finally touchdown on local soil when they play in Johannesburg on 13 February.
Thousands of fans are waiting impatiently for their arrival and look forward to an unforgettable night. Let’s hope the band isn’t too exhausted by the time they get here.
Jade Scully is a copywriter excited about writing copy and stories, blogging about the world and editing. She currently and regularly publishes her stories on a number of blogs. Jade loves animals and hopes to begin writing copy for the animal rescue charity TEARS as her contribution to the cause.
