"The moment is finally here... Let the party begin!"

With these words, Executive Mayor Dan Plato opened the "Cape Town Welcomes the World" festivities to the sounds of vuvuzelas and applause from the thousands of people who had gathered to celebrate the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The festivities at the official FIFA Fan Fest™ on the Grand Parade in central Cape Town included a concert featuring top local and international acts, the appearance the Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato, Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille, and American R&B superstar R Kelly, fireworks, the switching on of the Adderley Street soccer lights, and a carnival parade featuring over 2 000 people. The Mayor’s announcement of the start of the World Cup in Cape Town was a particularly poignant moment. Since 2004, when South Africa first won the bid to host the FIFA World Cup, thousands of people, from both government and the private sector, have worked tirelessly to prepare for the event. Click here for the video.

Cape Town was blessed with a perfect afternoon for the festivities, and after sunset Table Mountain was lit up to provide a spectacular backdrop to the party.

Thousands of Capetonians and visitors got into the soccer spirit, dressing up in soccer gear, singing along to Vicky Sampson's "My African Dream", blasting their vuvuzelas and doing impromptu mass diski dances. Gates were opened at 11:00 and the concert started at 14:00.

Click here to feel the "gees" (spirit/vibe) of the event.

The Fan Fest™ soon filled up and by about 17:00 a capacity crowd of 16 500 people was reached and the entrances were closed for safety reasons. Revellers were then directed to Adderley Street, where crowds gathered to watch three large screens showing the concert inside.

As more people arrived, the surrounding streets were soon filled with soccer spirit, as Cape Town lived up to its aim of being the party capital of the World Cup™

What Capetonians had to say: Yusuf Davids, a former national rugby player who grew up in the nearby District Six but now lives in Goodwood, was at the Fan Fest with his wife Jasmine and their family. "We are enjoying it, it's well organised and not too busy inside," he said.

"It's the best crowd in years, and I'm really looking forward to watching some of the World Cup here," he said. "I will come back to watch the opening ceremony and first game on the big screen."

Danish supporters the Dahls were dressed in the full Denmark kit. They now live in South Africa, and predicted a Bafana Bafana-Denmark final. "We will come back here, there is a good vibe," they said.

UCT students Philip Monatisa and Mmueledi Mokubung had been at the Fan Fest™ since 11:00. "We didn't get match tickets, as they are too expensive for us students, so we will come back here for the free party," Philip said. "We are having a good time, it's a great party."

Elsies Rivier resident Hilton Jasons plans to come back to the Fan Fest™ every day, but complained that the food was quite expensive. However, there is a wide variety of food available, with hot dogs starting from R15.

His friend Shanel de Kock walked from Maitland into the city centre for the concert, and also wants to return during the World Cup™, depending on her work commitments.

After the concert ends at 23:15, the crowds will disperse for a night’s respite before resuming festivities tomorrow. The first game00 (South Africa vs Mexico) will be screened at 16:00, after which famed South African jazz guitarist Jimmy Dludlu will entertain the crowds from 18:00 until the screening of the opening ceremony at 19:15. The second and last match of the day, France vs Uruguay, will be shown at 20:30.

There will be two entrances to the Fan Fest tomorrow, at the corners of Longmarket and Buitenkant Streets and Corporation and Darling Streets.