Black Eyed Peas and Shakira among artists announced for World Cup gala

Black Eyed Peas, Amadou & Mariam and Shakira are among the performers announced for the opening gala for this year's World Cup. Western pop stars will appear alongside fringe acts such as BLK JKS and Tinariwen at what organisers are calling "the greatest entertainment event to date in Africa". The concert will take place on 10 June, at Orlando Stadium, in Johannesburg's Soweto district. More than 30,000 people are expected to pack into the arena, with millions more tuning in at home. "It is testament to the universal and unifying power of football and music," said the FIFA secretary general, Jerome Valcke, neglecting to mention the roles of scantily-clad pop singers and hysterical nationalism. With many more performers to be announced later, the bill so far includes US acts such as the Peas, Alicia Keys and John Legend, Colombian stars Juanes and Shakira, Mali's Vieux Farka Touré, Benin's Angelique Kidjo, and celebrated Tuareg rockers Tinariwen . South Africa, the tournament's host, will itself dispatch the Parlotones, the folkie Vusi Mahlasela, and indie-rockers BLK JKS. Promoters also promise "feature appearances" by footballers, and "celebrities from other fields". This is probably code for Charlize Theron. "Music and sports are the lifeblood of African culture, so to combine those in this historic event will be a true celebration of African culture," explained Lucas Radebe, an eloquent member of the South African team. With all this lifeblood flowing around, we hope it doesn't get messy.