Cape Town Stadium will once again host a major international music concert when best-selling British band Coldplay performs for the first time in South Africa today.
Coldplay’s songs have captured millions of fans around the world with chart toppers such as ‘The Scientist’, ‘In My Place’ and ‘Viva La Vida or’ ‘Death and All His Friends’. This alternative rock band from London has won numerous awards through their career including six Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, seven Grammy Awards and have headlined major festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury and Isle of Wight Festival.
The City of Cape Town will implement a similar transport plan (including park-and-ride facilities) and road closures to the U2 concert in February and the Neil Diamond concert in April – details of which are outlined below. Concert-goers are encouraged to use public transport and make use of the Stadium shuttle or fan walk from the CBD to Cape Town Stadium. This will ease the anticipated high traffic volumes and ensure that fans arrive on time and are able to get home in the shortest possible time after the event. Please note, there is no public parking at or near the stadium.
Additional event-related public transport will supplement normal public transport services for the event and Metrorail has arranged for additional trains to run after the event ends.
Fans with tickets to the Coldplay concert will be able to use a number of free public transport services provided by the City to get to and from Cape Town Stadium. Concertgoers are encouraged to collect their tickets from Computicket and Shoprite/Checkers outlets around the city and use these to enjoy free transport on the train and shuttle services. Alternatively tickets can be collected at the designated point at the A Track but on 5 October 2011 access will be restricted to pedestrians only.
MyCiTi
The MyCiTi service between Civic Centre and Table View bus stations will operate before and after the concert.
Prior to the concert, fans will be required to purchase a normal MyCiTi ticket to travel to the Civic Centre bus station on Hertzog Boulevard. After the concert, fans will be able to use the service free of charge on presentation of a valid concert ticket stub. Additional express buses will transport fans between the Civic Centre and Table View bus stations. These buses will not be stopping at any of the stations on this route after the concert. The last bus will depart from the Civic Centre bus station at 00:00 and the last feeder services will depart from the Table View bus station at 00:30.
Passengers using the MyCiTi Waterfront service should take note that the normal Civic Centre-Waterfront MyCiTi bus service will not be free of charge to concert ticket holders. From 14:00 on 5 October 2011, the MyCiTi service will not stop at the Stadium and Granger Bay bus stations but will be rerouted – turning right into Portswood Road from Western Boulevard, left into Beach Road and right at the traffic circle into Granger Bay Boulevard. During this time the Stadium bus station will be used for event services only. Granger Bay bus station will be closed for this period while all other stops and services on the Waterfront route will operate as scheduled. Passengers may use the Waterfront (in Breakwater lane) and/or Buitengragt stops as alternatives to the Granger Bay and Stadium bus stations. On the return journey from the Waterfront, the bus will turn left into Beach Road, right into Portswood Road and left at Western Boulevard to continue its normal route to the CBD.
Park-and-Ride
Parking at the following Park-and-Rides at or near rail stations, is free of charge. The stations will have extended operating hours and additional security until 30 minutes after the last train has left the station.
- Athlone – east of the station
- Claremont – off Palmyra Road, east of the station
- Kuils River – either side of the station with access off New Nooiensfontein Drive or from Van Riebeek Road off Station Road
- Ottery – either side of the station but primarily on the eastern side, off Panton Road
- Retreat – west of the station with access off Main Road
- Strand – at the station or across the road at the municipal offices
A nominal parking fee will be payable at the following Park-and-Rides:
- Oosterzee – at the station (free parking) off Mike Pienaar Boulevard in Oostersee Street and on the Settlers High school fields
- Goodwood – at GrandWest with access to the rail station via the Casino
- Century City – at Ratanga Junction with a free shuttle service to the station
- Fish Hoek – at the station (free parking), with additional parking at the eastern end of the beach parking area
The bus shuttle Park-and-Rides will also be operational, namely:
- Kronendal Primary School at the sports field off Andrews Road in Hout Bay (nominal parking fee)
- On-street at Maiden’s Cove or in the municipal parking area off Victoria Road in Camps Bay
- University of Cape Town (UCT) Upper Campus in Rondebosch
The first buses will be ready to depart from the University of Cape Town and Hout Bay at 17:00. The last bus before the concert leaves at 20:30 and no service will be provided during the concert. The first bus after the concert will depart at 23:00 and the last shuttles will depart at 00:15. The return Hout Bay service will run from Main Road (opposite York Road) and the UCT service from Civic Centre bus station.
The Stadium shuttle between the Civic Centre and Stadium bus stations will be free of charge on presentation of a valid concert ticket. This service starts at 17:00 and the last bus will depart from the Stadium at 00:15.
“There will be no general parking available at Cape Town Stadium or its immediate surrounds but parking, although limited, is available in the city centre and at the VA Waterfront. All concert-goers are encouraged to use the identified Park-and-Ride facilities outside the city centre. The best way to avoid congestion and frustration is to leave early and to use public transport,” says the Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater, Brett Herron.
Fan walk
The fan walk allows spectators to move between the Civic Centre bus station and Cape Town rail station to the Cape Town Stadium along a dedicated pedestrian route. Roads that run along the fan walk will be closed from 17:30. A contra-flow system will be provided for local vehicle access on the mountain side carriageway on Main Road in Green Point between York and Ebenezer Road.
Rail
Access to the rail services and the event shuttles is free on presentation of a valid concert ticket. If you are not able to produce a valid concert ticket, you will be required to pay the full fare for the journey.
Metrorail has arranged for additional trains on selected lines to run after the event. This will ease the anticipated high traffic flows and ensure that fans arrive on time and are able to get home after the event. Before the concert train services will run according to the normal timetables.
For comprehensive and up-to-date transport information contact the City’s 24/7 Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63, toll free from a landline or public pay phone, or click here.
