What better place to say farewell to the 2010 World Cup than in Upper Long Street? I watched the gut-wrenching final between Holland and Spain with friends and family at Long Street Cafe.
Long Street has been the epicentre of the Cape Town late night World Cup party for the past month and last night was no exception – thousands of fans trying desparately to get into bars and clubs that were forced to put up ‘full’ signs early on in the evening.
In fact, the whole of the Cape Town city centre was once again packed to capacity, including the Grand Parade Fan Fest and around the extra outdoor viewing screens in Adderley Street. And just four weeks ago there were questions being asked about Cape Town’s supposed lack of ‘gees’.
Call me sentimental, but I had tears in my eyes when Mandela came into the stadium last night! Could this be the last time we see him in public on the world stage?
While it was always going to be hard to top the excitement of the opening ceremony (can it really be over a month ago?), I enjoyed the closing ceremony in its good use of light and digital technology, and that it mainly portrayed a sophisticated South African urban culture rather than the usual ethno-safari stereotypes. Except for the elephants, as Zackie Achmat pointed out. Well, I can forgive a few elephants – far better than the rather insipid Zakumi character, which never really caught on.
So, back to being ordinary again after such an extraordinary month, but more with an afterglow than a hangover (with apologies and thanks to the listener that used this phase in an email to John Maytham on 567 Cape Talk this morning).
Long Street, Cape Town
Long Street, Cape Town
Long Street, Cape Town
Long Street, Cape Town
Long Street, Cape Town
Long Street, Cape Town
Long Street, Cape Town
Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel (photograph: Michael Kooren/ Reuters)
2010 World Cup Final, Long Street Cafe, Cape Town
Great shot of the Grand Parade Fan Fest by Bruce Sutherland of the City of Cape Town
Grand Parade four hours before kick-off (Bruce Sutherland/ City of Cape Town)
Fireworks over the Grand Parade celebrate the end of the World Cup (Bruce Sutherland/ City of Cape Town)
Viva Andrew! Thank you to you and your team for creating the most wonderful CBD for all of us to enjoy!
Well done to you and your team for months of concerted effort and planning that culminated in what has to be Cape Town’s finest hour!
We caught the train from Muizenberg to town and back – some folk were saying its been over 20 years since they rode a train after midnight!
We did the Fan Walk, twice! Who would have thought Somerset Road would ever be closed to traffic, or imagined throngs of surging supporters?
We watched games at the Waterfront and joined the party revellers in Long Street. Who would have believed so many would come out to cheer and share?
Cape Town you did us proud! A flawless production staged against the finest city backdrop with user-friendly public spaces and super efficient public transport managed with an expertise that deserves recognition.
Cudos to the Cape Town Partnership and the Central City and Green Point Improvement Districts!
Yep, exactly Andrew! The light show at the closing ceremony was a brilliant use of technology and well designed. Gone was the Afro-kitch we saw at the opening of the Rugby World Cup with ‘indigenous’ people running around in skins as if that is what it is to be ‘African’.