History made as South Africa’s
biggest purpose built is unveiled
History was
made with the opening of Sun International’s Sun Arena at Time Square in Menlyn
Maine on Saturday, 4 November. Heralding the start of a new era in entertainment
for Tshwane, the Sun Arena is the first venue of its kind in Tshwane and also
the largest purpose built indoor seated arena in South Africa.
The grand
opening production, UNISON Celebration, was staged courtesy of Time Square and
was not for profit. Tickets were distributed to interested media houses to
share through give aways with their listeners and readers. This was history in
the making as not one ticket was sold by Time Square, with all 8 500 seats
filled with people who share its passion for local entertainment.
The concert
saw some of the country’s foremost entertainers collaborating on the Sun Arena
stage for the first time. These included Lira, Zonke, Lady Zamar, PJ Powers,
Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Sipho Hotstix Mabusa, Jimmy Nevis, Vusi Nova, Claire
Johnston, Sasha Lee Davids, Nur Abrahams, Jeremy Oliver, Timothy Moli and Karin
Zoid.
“The Sun
Arena is a construction and engineering feat of note. There is quite simply
nothing else like it in South Africa. Tick Tock, the wait is over; the Sun
Arena is here,” says Time Square’s General Manager, Brett Hoppé.
The Sun
Arena spans over 6300m2 of combined seating and mixed use performance space on
two levels. With capacity to host 8 500 guests at a seated event and 10 000 for
a standing concert, the Sun Arena provides an unprecedented platform for
staging grand scale events.
For artists
and organisers, the Sun Arena provides unmatched capacity to bring their
wildest ambitions for shows and events to life with state of the art
technologies and features such as the roof structure, which allows for a total
of 615 dedicated rigging or hang points that boast a combined maximum weight
loading capacity of 299.1 tonnes.
Concertgoers
are promised the ultimate experience at the Sun Arena at Time Square. The venue
boasts an international award winning digital audio system for spectacular
sound and acoustics, as well as a high definition, audiovisual system complete
with large format LED screens. The design and layout of seating on two tiers
deliver unobstructed views from all positions. Access to the Sun Arena is via
16 entrances; 8 on the lower level and 8 on the upper tier. There are four sets
of public restrooms on each tier, with each offering dedicated paraplegic
facilities and child changing stations. The four VIP hospitality suites can
accommodate 26 people each.
The launch
of the Sun Arena represents the conclusion of another milestone in the
ambitious, multi billion Rand Time Square development – Sun International’s largest investment in a casino development
in 15 years. The first phase of the project, the casino and restaurant hub,
opened in April this year. The third phase, The Maslow Time Square hotel, will
be completed in April 2018.
Delivering
on its promise to bring some of the most celebrated local and international
artists to the city, Time Square has also confirmed a spectacular line up of
shows over the festive season. On the bill are LIVE (10 and 11 November), Bryan
Adams (10 December), Legends of R&B: Brian McKnight
and Brandy (9 December), and the wildly popular Afrikaans is Groot series (24,
25 and 26 November and 1 and 2 December) which has already sold out.
For those
seeking sustenance while attending shows at the new Sun Arena, there is the
brand new Red Cloud Spur and a Candelicious outlet. In addition,
revellers have access to the diversity of restaurants and bars within the
casino complex. There
are three unique establishments on the upper level: Forti Grill &
Bar by Fortunato Mazzone (the charismatic South African chef, radio
personality and owner of the multiple award winning Ristorante Ritrovo); Something’s
Cooking by J’Something by Joao da Fonseca (the lead singer of Mi Casa and
well known culinary artiste - aka J’Something) and Guy Fieri’s Kitchen and
Bar South Africa by Guy Fieri (American celebrity chef, restaurateur and TV
host of Guy's Big Bite and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives). For
pre-or post-concert cocktails, there is Altitude, a champagne garden and
supper club on the rooftop, offering panoramic views of Menlyn and beyond.
Like Time
Square South Africa on Facebook www.facebook.com/TimeSquareRSA
and follow on Twitter @TimeSquareRSA.
