South Africa 2010 is an of event of firsts. It is the first African World Cup and now it will host the first ever World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert. The event is scheduled for June 10th and will feature international and African artists. The concert is being billed as "The greatest entertainment event to date in Africa."

The concert will be held at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg and along with musical performances by international superstars, football legends from the past and present will be there and celebrities from other fields to take part in the festivities.

According to FIFA, the three-hour celebratory extravaganza, will bring together the two universal passions of football and music before a capacity stadium audience of 30,000. The concert will be broadcast to millions more worldwide and is scheduled to begin at 8pm local time (GMT+2) on Thursday, June 10. The day before the opening match between South Africa and México.

FIFA selected Emmy Award-winning producer Kevin Wall and his company Control Room to organize and produce the event. Control Room has put together some massive events, such as Live Earth 2007, which featured 150 artists performing on seven continents over the course of 24 hours to raise awareness of climate change.

“We believe sports and music transcend cultural, language and geographic barriers, and through the official FIFA World Cup Kick–off Celebration Concert, Control Room will present the sights and sounds of unity and celebration for an unforgettable, must-see experience,” said Wall.

All net proceeds from the concert will be donated to “20 Centers for 2010”, the Official Campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, which aims to build 20 centers across Africa offering education and health care services as well as football training to disadvantaged communities.

Visit the FIFA Official Site to get more details about the event.

Inaugural World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert