FIFA World Cup 2010: Stadium Tour

Yessir! I was here first. :)

Here's a pictorial tour of the main soccer stadium in Johannesburg that will host the opening and closing ceremonies during the FIFA World Cup 2010. Like a billion fans around the world already know, this BIG event kicks off on June 11 here. I was very excited with the opportunity to get a tour of the stadium, a walk through the team dressing rooms and a visit to the heart of the facility that contains the high-tech nerve center that will let the world's media beam back images instantaneously to fans back home.



Soccer City, as this stadium is popularly called, has seen a major upgrade for this event. Its design has been inspired by African pottery, the calabash. At night-time, the mosiac of earthern colors will have a ring of lights at the bottom making the stadium look like a massive pot placed over fire. As we went through the gates, we could see workers busy with the finishing touches outside.


Finally, we were inside the massive structure. The green field surrounded by rings of orange seats made for a colorful picture.





I was here on work (yes, I know, lucky me!!), but let me explain the hat I am wearing. The yellow hat represents a miner's hard-hat and South Africans tend to arrive with elaborate decoration on them during matches. The other person in the picture was our tour guide who gave us several interesting nuggets of information on the stadium. Below is the players' tunnel followed by the dressing and shower rooms.




At the top of the stadium, the mosaic made for a pretty pattern against the deep blue skies. The day was pretty warm, but 74 days from now when the world tunes in, the Johannesburg winter ought to make for a much more pleasant day-time temperatures.

Previously in this series: A taste of Johannesburg.