U2
On Friday the 18th of February, the centre of Cape Town was abuzz. The area had not been so busy since the World Cup tournament in June and July last year. The Fanwalk was simply streaming with U2 fans making their way to Cape Town Stadium to see one of the world’s most beloved bands play live. The stadium was full to capacity – and more. Extra seating was added due to the massive demand for tickets. The final number of people attending the concert was estimated at 72,000. Three of our hotels are located a minute’s walk away from the Fanwalk, and provided an excellent base for visiting fans, or those who didn’t’ fancy driving home after the concert and fighting through traffic jams to get out of the city. The Strand Tower Hotel even ran a special offer for fans of U2: get a room at the Strand Tower Hotel including dinner, bed and breakfast for R495 per person sharing.
The band arrived on stage at 9.30pm, and opened with “Beautiful Day” to which the crowd exploded into a sea of jumping, clapping and cheering. The atmosphere was quite incredible. Other songs performed included “Mysterious Ways”, “Vertigo”, “Where the Street Have No Name”, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Hold me, Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me” and the famous tear jerker, “With or Without You.”
One of the band’s greatest songs, “Pride (In the Name of Love)”, was dedicated to Nelson Mandela, playing a video of his inaugural speech in April 1994. Bono even changed the words of the song as a tribute to Madiba. To finish they sang “Moment of Surrender.”
A large part of the concert was tied in with the band’s activism. They dedicated the entire concert to Aung San Suu Kyi, a democratic leader in Burma, who was recently freed after being imprisoned since 1990.
The concert truly was an un-missable experience. Bono is a true showman, and the band is more talented with every note they play.
Read more about the concert and view our photo gallery on our blog!
Facebook and Social Media
Early this year we made some major changes to our Social Media profiles.
What we post on Facebook and what we tweet is selected according to what is interesting and useful to the different types of travellers we experience in Cape Town and in our hotels, and Cape Town locals.
We now have almost 3000 subscribed to our page on Facebook! This incredible influx of “likes” also allows us to hear from a much larger audience what people want from travel. This in turn helps us to fine tune our services to what is truly relevant.
Visit our Facebook page here. We would love to hear from you, and please don’t be shy about adding pictures to our page and making wall posts. As we said, we love to hear from you. Our Facebook page is YOUR space to chat with us and tell us what you really think.
Our hotels are also on Foursquare, so you can now check in and compete for mayorship as well as find out about any specials we are running. We also run a blog called “That’s Cape Town” which focused on this beautiful city and aimed at locals and international readers.
Follow us on Twitter and take a look at our photos on Flickr.
Improvements on public transport in Cape Town
February saw a major addition to Cape Town’s transport system. The MyCity cycling route to Cape Town from Milnerton was officially opened on February the 1st. This route is the first major non-motorised transport route of the City of Cape Town’s new MyCiTi system.
Don’t forget that the MyCity bus service to Cape Town International Airport is still running, and at R50 per trip, it is a bargain. Those without cars (which is most tourists) can breathe a sigh of relief as the city has a direct service to the airport at last. Soon, the MyCity bus to Tableview from the centre of Cape Town will be running again; it was suspended after the World Cup finished. These improvements in public transport are a welcome improvement and will save time for passengers, as well as easing overcrowding on other public transport services.
2014 Design Capital
Cape Town is in the running to become one of the World’s design capitals in 2014. Just in case you don’t know what this means, the Cape Town 2014 website states:
“This bi-annual award is bestowed by the International Council for Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to cities that use design for their social, economic and cultural development. A World Design Capital designation gives a winning city global focus during a year-long programme of design-led events. Previous winners have included Torino, Italy (2008), and Seoul, South Korea (last year’s title-holder) while Helsinki, Finland will be World Design Capital in 2012.”
Cape Town will be submitting its bid at the end of March, with the stipulated theme for bidders being “Live Design. Transform Life.”
We support Cape Town in their bid to become the World Design Capital in 2014.
For more info please contact: Zayd Minty
Manager: Communications Strategy & Creative Cape Town
Cape Town Partnership
10th Floor, The Terraces, 34 Bree Street, Cape Town
Tel: +27 21 419 1881
Fax: +27 21 419 0894
Email: zayd@capetownpartnership.co.za
www.capetownpartnership.co.za
Events for March
Community Chest Carnival
The annual Community Chest Carnival in Wynberg is always a massive success, and very popular amongst locals. The food fair offers global cuisine, as there are stands representing most well-known countries, such as Germany, Mexico, Holland, Austria, France and more. The beer area is similar, offering beers from around the world. The eisbein at the German stand is highly recommended. Another popular part of the carnival is the massive book sale, where you can pick up all sorts of reads for a bargain price.
When: 2-5 march 2011
Where: Wynberg Field
Cost: R15-20 and R50 for a family ticket
Hout Bay Sandcastle competition
This event has been part of the Cape Town events calendar for 15 years now. The funds raised from the competition go towards the Valley Pre-Primary School and Hout Bay Educare Centre to improve facilities and sponsor underprivileged children. This is a great family event; just remember to bring your sunscreen!
When: 05-Mar-11
Where: Hout Bay Beach
Cost: R30 per adult and R15 per child
Old Mutual Summer Sunset concerts – Goldfish
Goldfish are one of South Africa’s favourite musical acts, and have gained world-wide notoriety. Come and enjoy a feast of funky electronica in the stunning setting of Kirstenbosch Gardens at one of the Summer Sunset Concerts.
When: 06-Mar-10
Where: Kirstenbosch Gardens
Cost: R95
Cape Argus Lifestyle Expo
This expo is all about health, fitness and cycling! 350 exhibitors over three floors of interactive displays are available over three days from 10 – 12 March 2011. The Argus Cycle Tour is held the next day on Sunday 13 March 2011.
When: 10-12 March 2011
Where: Good Hope Centre
Cost: R30 for non-riders, free for riders.
The Cape Argus Bicycle Race
The Argus is one of the World’s most famous bicycle races, not to mention the most scenic. The race covers a 109KM route around the Cape Peninsula, starting in the CBD, around the peninsula and ending in Greenpoint. 28,745 entrants rode in last year’s race, so this year looks set to be even busier.
When: 13 March 2011
Where: Start near the Civic Centre on Hertzog Boulevard
Cost: Entries closed in November 2010 but support along the route is free!
Old Mutual Summer Sunset concerts – Jamali
Jamali is an all-girl group comprised of three singers: Jacqui, Mariechan, and Liesl, and was formed from the Pop-Stars competition. They are fast becoming the best all-female pop act in South Africa. They have won a SAMA award for Best Pop Album with 3rd Base, which features many styles of music including pop, vocal ballads, kwaito, urban and adult contemporary.
When: 13-Mar-11
Where: Kirstenbosch Gardens
Cost: R75
Old Mutual Summer Sunset concerts – RJ Benjamin
RJ Benjamin is a singer and songwriter whose music blends Neo-soul, R&B, House, funk, and acid jazz. His 2008 album ‘Swimming in the Soul of Music’ won him the Metro FM Best R&B Album award. He has worked with and written songs for many South African musicians, and will be joined by Slikour, a Hip Hop act for his performance.
When: 20-Mar-11
Where: Kirstenbosch Gardens
Cost: R75
Feast of The Grape
This festival isn’t only about wine – it’s about the grape! Enjoy wine tasting as well as Cape-grape cuisine. Breakfast, brunch and harvest lunches are the food of the day, including tasty grape-chutneys and pickles. The wine farms participating include Altydgedacht, Durbanville Hills, Diemersdal, De Grendel, D’Aria, Bloemendal, De Vallei, Groot Phesantekraal Farm (Phizante Kraal Wines), Hillcrest, Klein Roosboom, Nitida,and Meerendal.
When: 21-Mar-11
Where: Durbanville Wine Valley
Cost: Free entry
Cirque Du Soleil
This world-famous performance company describes their show as “An abundance of joyful and colourful acrobatics in a metropolis.” This extravaganza of acrobatics finally comes to visit Cape Town this month, so get your tickets ASAP, as they are bound to sell out.
When: 23 March 2011 to 3 April 2011
Where: Grand Arena, Grand West
Cost: From R272 to R426
Cape Town Jazz Festival
This hugely popular music festival returns to the CTICC for its 12th year. Catch 40 artists over 2 days, including the world famous saxophonist, Wayne Shorter. Don’t miss the Cape Town Jazz Festival, ranked the no.4 Jazz festival in the world! Attendance figures last year were topping 34,000, an illustration of the popularity of this quality event.
When: 25-26 March 2011
Where: CTICC
Cost: Weekend Pass: R499, Day Pass: R365, Rosies Tickets: R25 per performance
Old Mutual Summer Sunset concerts – Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
This year’s Cape Philharmonic Orchestra includes Rossini’s Semiramide Overture, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, and Vivaldi’s Gloria. They will also feature the London Chorus. The Western Cape Philharmonic Orchestra is nick-named the ‘orchestra for all seasons’, and is famous for their world-class musical experiences. This concert is an extremely special event and very popular. The incredible sound of the strings, woodwind and percussion drifting across the green lawn at Kirstenbosch is truly the experience of a lifetime.
When: 27-Mar-11
Where: Kirstenbosch Gardens
Cost: R75
