The World’s Most Beloved Tenor Andrea Bocelli To Perform With World Class Talent In South Africa
The wait is almost over. In just a few days, global music icon Andrea Bocelli will embark on his long-awaited South African tour, bringing his timeless voice to the SunBet Arena, Time Square on 12 and 13 April 2025, before heading to DHL Stadium, Cape Town on 16 April 2025 – which will mark the largest outdoor classical concert ever staged in Cape Town.
An unforgettable musical journey awaits as Bocelli takes the stage accompanied by a constellation of internationally acclaimed artists and some of South Africa’s finest musical talent. Each performance will feature a majestic 69-piece orchestra and a 60-piece choir, promising an awe-inspiring live experience.
Special Guests Include:
- Marcello Rota (Conductor): One of Italy’s most celebrated conductors, known for his dynamic energy and precision, with a long history of collaboration with Bocelli.
- Mariam Battistelli (Soprano): A radiant Ethiopian-Italian soprano captivating opera houses across Europe with her powerful and graceful voice.
- Amy Manford (Classical Crossover Artist): An Australian-American soprano praised for her West End performances and cross-genre versatility.
- Rusanda Panfili (Violinist): A virtuosic Moldovan-Austrian violinist, known for her electrifying performances with Hans Zimmer and other global productions.
- Mzansi Ballet: Founded by Dirk Badenhorst in 2017, Mzansi Ballet fuses classical technique with modern storytelling, showcasing South Africa’s dynamic spirit. Dancers Angela Revie, Kiana Prinsloo, Mahlatse Sachane, and Ariel Mejica will add an elegant visual dimension to Bocelli’s iconic performances.
In Johannesburg, Andrea Bocelli will be joined by The Symphony Choir of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra. In Cape Town, the Maestro will perform alongside The Philharmonia Choir of Cape Town and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, ensuring each city enjoys a unique and breathtaking musical experience.
More about Andrea Bocelli:
Recognized around the world as an icon of the greatest Italian vocal tradition, Andrea Bocelli has sold over 90 million records. He perfected his singing skills under the guidance of his mentor, Franco Corelli, and initially became widely famous for winning the Sanremo Music Festival in 1994. At the same time, he started his dazzling classical career, performing masterpieces from the opera repertoire on stage – conducted by Lorin Maazel, Seiji Ozawa and Zubin Mehta. The many recordings of the Tuscan tenor include Manon Lescaut conducted by Plácido Domingo, Turandot and Aida conducted by Zubin Mehta.
The maestro, who sees his concerts attended by huge crowds has broken every record in the industry. His countless accolades include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which he was honored with in 2010. Throughout his career, Andrea Bocelli has received 6 Grammy Award nominations and 6 Latin Grammy Award nominations. He has performed for four Presidents of the United States of America, three Popes, the British Royal Family, many Prime Ministers and also at the ceremonies of the Olympic Games, the Universal Expo in Shanghai in 2010, at the Universal Expo in Milan in 2015 (together with the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala) and at the inauguration of Expo Dubai on September 30, 2021, which was broadcast worldwide.
He is the only artist to take part in the prestigious National Prayer Breakfast event three times (2013, 2016 and 2024) – in the presence of the Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
In 2015, he was called upon to write an editorial for TIME magazine, while in December 11, 2017 he was invited to the NASDAQ Stock Market in New York, marking the start of trade on the global stock market with the famous “ringing of the bell”. In the fall of 2017, the movie “The Music of Silence” – inspired by the autobiographical novel of the same name, written by Bocelli himself – was a resounding success. The movie, directed by Michael Radford, also featured Antonio Banderas in the cast.
On Easter Day, April 12, 2020, the Maestro performed at the deserted Duomo of Milan, at the peak of the pandemic. The “Music for Hope” event was conceived as a moment of prayer and hope and is considered to be one of the biggest musical live stream performances of all-time, with over 2.8 million peak concurrent viewers and boasts the largest simultaneous audience for a classical live stream in YouTube history. The video received more than 28 million views in its first 24 hours.
Maestro Bocelli was honored by the Italian Republic with a Grande Ufficiale Italian Order of Merit (Grand Officer of the Italian Republic) and he was bestowed the title of Ambassador of the Italian Republic of San Marino. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Opera Singing from the “G. Puccini” Music Conservatory in La Spezia and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Pisa, Italy. During the Opening Ceremony of the World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos (Switzerland), Andrea was honored with the Crystal Award, the prestigious recognition to his person as an artist, a man, a philanthropist. In 2016, the University of Macerata bestowed him with an Honorary Degree in Modern Philology.
In 2011, he founded the Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) with the aim of enhancing the wealth of relationships and the bond of trust that he has been able to establish and continues to establish wherever he goes around the world, where he is inevitably considered a musical and ethical point of reference.
Tour Information:
Andrea Bocelli 30th Anniversary Tour
Pretoria
Venue:
SunBeta Arena, Time Square
Dates & Times:
12 April 2025 at 8pm
13 April 2025 at 6pm
Tickets:
From R1820
Bookings:
Can be made through Ticketmaster
Cape Town
Venue:
DHL Stadium, Cape Town – intimate configuration
Date & Time:
16 April 2025 at 8pm
Tickets:
From R1365
Bookings:
Can be made through Ticketmaster
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Important Note: Fans are strongly advised against purchasing tickets from Viagogo. These tickets are unlawfully resold by deceitful sellers for many times the face value and are not legitimate tickets. Should you purchase these tickets you will be denied entry into the venue, and you will not be entitled to a refund.
These highly anticipated shows will feature special guest appearances by some of South Africa’s finest musical ensembles, adding unparalleled depth and richness to the experience.
