Fan Walk to Cape Town Stadium

Date: 18 February 2011

Location: City Bowl into Green Point

Walkers: Susan, Vanessa, Michele, Dorothy & Helen

Not an everyday walk, this one!


A bunch of us had tickets to see rock group U2 play at Cape Town Stadium (part of their 360° tour). As the show was sold out with around 70 000 people expected to attend, the city encouraged everyone to make use of public transport and/or make their way to the venue on foot. To make this easier they closed off some city streets to make a fan walk to the stadium in the same way they had done last year during the soccer World Cup. We'd really enjoyed walking the fan walk then, so doing so again this time round make perfect sense. And this time I took my camera along!

We parked at Sue's office in the foreshore and walked up to Waterkant Steet. Even though it was only a little after 5pm there were already throngs of people strolling along. After a bite to eat in one of the local restaurants we joined the happy crowd, making our way through town and then up and over the bridge over Buitengracht.




Down to Somerset Road, where the party mood was in full swing.



I think everyone stopped to take a photo of this sign ;-)



It was rather fun to walk down the middle of the road. We took it slow, stopped to eat an ice-cream and watch the crowds. So many people!



The fan walk's only a couple of kilometres so it wasn't long til we reached the Stadium. Surprisingly there were hardly any queues, so we were in quickly. Hooray for efficient organization.



It really is an impressively structure, especially in the golden light near sunset. The whole building seems to glow.




We found our seats - up in the rafters - and marvelled at the incredible stage that had been erected on the field. The claw!



As we had some time to kill we went exploring, ambling along the upper level of the stadium. From here the design makes me think of a boat; the outside skin looks like a sail.




From inside it is translucent, and we could see back to Table Mountain to the left, and the setting sun beyond Sea Point to our right.



We peeked back at the stadium whenever we could. From the northern side we could see the claw from close up. That circular screen is amazing.





Back outside: the sun had set and the full moon was up.



By nine the stadium had filled up and it was time to take our seats and enjoy the concert. That's right.... SHOWTIME!



Wow, it was big fun. And then afterwards, round about midnight, there was the long walk back into town.
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