Cape Town Stadium

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Cape Town Stadium
Cape Town Stadium Aerial View.jpg
Location Fritz Sonnenberg Road, Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Owner City of Cape Town
Capacity 55,000
Field size 290 × 265 × 48 m[1]
Surface Grass
Construction
Broke ground 26 March 2007
Opened 14 December 2009
Construction cost R 4.4 billion
(USD $ 600 million
£ 415 million)
Architect GMP Architects, Louis Karol Architects, Point Architects
General contractor Murray & Roberts/ WBHO
Tenants
Ajax Cape Town (PSL) (2010–present)
2010 FIFA World Cup
South Africa Sevens (2015–present)

The Cape Town Stadium (Afrikaans: Kaapstad-stadion; Xhosa: Inkundla yezemidlalo yaseKapa)[2] in Cape Town, South Africa is a stadium that was built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[3] During the planning stage, it was known as the Green Point Stadium, which was the name of the previous stadium on the site, and this name was also used frequently during World Cup media coverage. It has been the home ground of Ajax Cape Town F.C. since 2010 and will host the South Africa Sevens rugby tournament from 2015 onwards.

The stadium is located in Green Point, between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean, close to the Cape Town city centre and to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a popular tourist and shopping venue. The stadium had a seating capacity of 64,100 during the 2010 World Cup,[4] later reduced to 55,000.[5] The stadium is connected to the waterfront by a new road connection, Granger Bay Boulevard, and is surrounded by a 60 hectare urban park. The stadium was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts.

Name

The stadium is in Green Point, on the Atlantic coast just west of the Cape Town city centre.
The stadium is in Green Point, on the Atlantic coast just west of the Cape Town city centre.
Cape Town Stadium
Location of the stadium in the Cape Town metropolitan area

During construction, Cape Town Stadium was unofficially known as Green Point Stadium, the name of an older stadium demolished to make way for the new stadium. During October 2009, the city asked for the public to propose names for the new stadium and the name Cape Town Stadium was chosen.[2]

Previous stadium

The old stadium
The beginnings of the former Green Point Stadium during the Second Boer War
180px
Aerial view of the old Green Point Stadium, which was partly demolished during 2007

The stadium is adjacent to the site of the original 18,000 seater stadium Green Point Stadium. It replaces a portion of the Metropolitan Golf Club site which has now been realigned.

The previous stadium, which was partly demolished in 2007, was a multi-purpose stadium used mainly for football matches, and was the home ground of Santos Football Club and Ajax Cape Town at different points. It also hosted music concerts, including the November 2003 46664 Concert for the benefit of AIDS victims.[6] The section of the old stadium that remained was redeveloped into the Green Point Athletics Stadium, which opened in 2015 with a seating capacity of 4500.[7]

Design

File:Cape Town Stadium.jpg
An aerial view of the stadium from just above its roof.
File:Capetown stadium.JPG
Capetown stadium viewed from Signal Hill

Construction of the Cape Town Stadium, located on the Green Point Common, began in March 2007. In 33 months, joint contractors Murray & Roberts and WBHO completed the project at a cost of R4.4billion – or approximately US$600million. The project architects were an association between GMP Architects of Germany and two local firms, Louis Karol and Associates and Point Architects. The structural engineers comprised a joint venture between BKS, Henry Fagan & Partners, KFD Wilkinson, Goba, Iliso and Arcus Gibb.[8]

Handing over

Cape Town Stadium was officially handed over to the City of Cape Town on schedule on 14 December 2009. At a ceremony in front of over 200 invited guests and the media representatives from around the world, Cape Town Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato, received the keys to the stadium officially confirming the opening of Cape Town Stadium.[9]

Usage after the World Cup

A consortium consisting of South Africa's Sail Group and French-based Stade de France were awarded the service contract to operate the stadium and ensure that it remains a sustainable multi-purpose venue after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The consortium, called Business Venture Investments 1317, was involved in the management of the stadium from January 2009 onwards. The city municipality paid the consortium to manage the stadium up to and during the World Cup, after which the consortium will lease the stadium from the city for a period of not less than 10 years and not more than 30 years.[10]

Following the World Cup, temporary rows of seating on either side on the top tier were replaced by events suites and clubrooms, reducing the stadium's capacity to 55,000.[11] The stadium features corporate hospitality suites, medical, training, and conferencing and banqueting facilities. The consortium will operate the stadium as well as manage and maintain the defined areas of the surrounding urban park and sport precinct on the 85-hectare Greenpoint Common from stadium revenue.[12]

Ajax Cape Town have used the stadium as their home ground from the 2010-11 Premier Soccer League season onwards.[13] Due to the stadium's ongoing financial problems, the City of Cape Town had sought to acquire Western Province rugby as an "anchor tenant". After four years of talks, Western Province announced in December 2014 that they had decided to remain at Newlands Stadium.[14] In March 2015, the South African Rugby Union announced that the South Africa Sevens tournament would be staged at Cape Town Stadium for four years, beginning in December 2015.[15]

Inaugural games

The first game to be hosted at the new Cape Town Stadium was a Cape Town derby between Ajax Cape Town and Santos on 23 January 2010 as part of the official inauguration of the stadium. Only 20,000 tickets were made available for the event and were sold out by Friday 15 January 2010. The Soccer Festival had entertainment from local band Freshlyground and a Vuvuzela orchestra performance during half time.

Date Time (UTC+2) Team 1 Res. Team 2 Attendance
23 January 2010 16:00 South Africa Ajax Cape Town 0(5) – 0(6) South Africa Santos 20,000

The second of three 'dry runs' at the new Cape Town Stadium was another Cape Town derby. Local Cape Town rugby teams, The Vodacom Stormers and the Boland Inv. XV battled it out at the Cape Town Rugby Festival that took place on 6 February 2010. The Rugby Festival had entertainment from local band Flat Stanley. Only 40,000 tickets were made available for the event. This was double the amount that attended the Soccer Festival.

Date Time (UTC+2) Team 1 Res. Team 2 Attendance
6 February 2010 16:15 South Africa Vodacom Stormers 47–13 South Africa Boland Inv. XV 40,000

Cape Town Stadium hosted its third test event on Monday 22 March, during which all 55,000 permanent seats were available for the first time. A total of 52,000 tickets were sold.

‘Cape Town For Jesus', a religious gathering addressed by South African evangelist Angus Buchan, was the first major non-sporting event hosted at the stadium, and gave the stadium operators another chance to test their readiness ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Date Time (UTC+2) Event Capacity Attendance
22 March 2010 13:00 Cape Town For Jesus 55,000 52,000

Cape Town Stadium hosted its fourth and final test event on Saturday 10 April. This was the first time that the stadium was utilised at night, for the International Under-20 Soccer Challenge between South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria and Ghana. About 40,000 attended the event that tested the stadium's readiness for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Date Time (UTC+2) Team 1 Res. Team 2 Attendance
10 April 2010 18:00 Ghana Ghana U/20 0–1 Brazil Brazil U/20 40,000
10 April 2010 20:30 South Africa South Africa U/20 1–3 Nigeria Nigeria U/20 40,000

2010 FIFA World Cup

In the World Cup, hosted five first round matches, one second round, one quarter-final, and one semi-final.[16] During the World Cup, all FIFA media referred to the stadium as 'Green Point Stadium'.

Matches

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See also: 2010 FIFA World Cup schedule
Date Time (UTC+2) Team 1 Res. Team 2 Round Attendance
11 June 2010 20.30 Uruguay Uruguay 0–0 France France Group A 64,100
14 June 2010 20.30 Italy Italy 1–1 Paraguay Paraguay Group F 62,869
18 June 2010 20.30 England England 0–0 Algeria Algeria Group C 64,100
21 June 2010 13.30 Portugal Portugal 7–0 North Korea Korea DPR Group G 63,644
24 June 2010 20.30 Cameroon Cameroon 1–2 Netherlands Netherlands Group E 63,093
29 June 2010 20.30 Spain Spain 1–0 Portugal Portugal Round of 16 62,955
3 July 2010 16.00 Argentina Argentina 0–4 Germany Germany Quarter-finals 64,100
6 July 2010 20.30  Uruguay 2–3  Netherlands Semi-finals 62,479

International friendly

On 17 November 2010, the Cape Town Stadium hosted its first international friendly. The match was between South Africa and the USA, where they played for the Nelson Mandela Challenge Trophy.

Date Time (UTC+2) Team 1 Score Team 2 Attendance
17 November 2010 21.30 South Africa South Africa 0–1 United States United States 52,000
19 January 2011 17.00 Botswana Botswana 1–2 Sweden Sweden 2,000
21 July 2012 15.00 South Africa Ajax Cape Town 1–1 England Manchester United 53,000
8 January 2012 20.15 South Africa South Africa 0–1 Norway Norway
21 January 2013 16.00 South Africa Jomo Cosmos 0–4 Switzerland Grasshopper Club Zürich 100
26 January 2013 16.00 South Africa Ajax Cape Town 2–1 Switzerland Grasshopper Club Zürich 200
23 March 2013 20.15 South Africa South Africa 2–0 Central African Republic Central African Republic 36,740

Rugby

There was speculation of a possible move of the Super rugby team Stormers to the Cape Town Stadium.[17] However, the Stormers have since continued playing at Newlands Stadium, which is owned by the Western Province Rugby Football Union.

Date Time (UTC+2) Team 1 Score Team 2 Attendance
9 February 2013 14.45 South Africa Vodacom Stormers – South Africa Boland Inv. XV

World Rugby Sevens Series

See also World Rugby Sevens Series

Date Event Year Winner Attendance
12–13 December 2015 2015 South Africa Sevens South Africa South Africa

Concerts

Year Date Artist Tour Name Attendance
2011 18 February U2 U2 360° Tour 72,532[18]
11 April Neil Diamond -
5 October Coldplay Mylo Xyloto Tour 47,000 – 60,000[19][20]
26 October Kings of Leon Come Around Sundown World Tour 40,000+[21]
2012 7 November Linkin Park Living Things World Tour 55,000[22]
3 December Lady Gaga The Born This Way Ball Tour 39,527
2013 5 February Red Hot Chili Peppers I'm With You World Tour -
7 May Bon Jovi Because We Can - The Tour 35,407[23]
8 May Justin Bieber Believe Tour 65,000[24]
16 October Rihanna Diamonds World Tour 39,616
2014 26 February Eminem Rapture Tour 37,825[25][26]
10 December Foo Fighters Sonic Highways World Tour
2015 15 March Michael Bublé To Be Loved Tour 22,060
1 April One Direction On the Road Again Tour 51,060
2016 18 February Lionel Ritchie 'All the Hits all Night Long’ Global Tour [27]

Movies

Cape Town Stadium was featured in the film Safe House (2012). The stadium also features in many local advertising and print media campaigns.[28]

Incidents

On 7 November 2012, shortly before U.S rock band Linkin Park was set to perform at the sold-out stadium, gusts of wind caused advertising scaffolding outside the arena to collapse onto a crowd of people injuring 19 and killing 1; of the 19 injured, 12 were taken to hospital for further treatment.[29]

Calls for Demolition

Several individuals and groups have called for the stadium to be demolished due to its under-utilization after the World Cup. Effective utilization and use of the stadium is thus a political issue in the city.[30][31][32]

References

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External links

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