Sport Stadium Tours

Johannesburg Soweto Pretoria

Soccer City (FNB), South Africa’s Stadium of Stadium’s, Loftus Versfeld and Orlando Stadium.

Ellis Park Stadium – Spiritual home of South African Rugby.

Johannesburg, Soweto, and Pretoria sport stadium tours.

Sport Stadium tours

Ekala Eco Tours can supply stadium tours to all stadiums accordingly detailed on this page.

However, if events are to take place in the stadium or has just taken place, stadium tours would not be available at those times.

We can do a combination of stadium tours in one day. Alternatively cover one stadium with other local historical or cultural tours.

Stadium Tours however, do need to be specifically booked. As tours inside these stadiums are not accordingly included as a standard to our Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto tours.

Advance stadium tour bookings are thus required.

Accordingly, private, professional, and reliable tailor-made sport stadium tours.

Wanderers Cricket Stadium – Johannesburg

Originally built on the site of the current Johannesburg Railway Station.

Then later relocated to the current location of Ellis Park Stadium.

Construction on the current Wanderers Cricket Stadium commenced in 1955.

With the first Cricket game taking place on the 16, 17 and 19 November 1956, between the then Transvaal and Natal.

Wanderers Cricket Stadium, although a Cricket Stadium, however, was used for rugby games while the Ellis Park Rugby Stadium was being rebuilt.

South Africa and South America played an international at Wanderers in 1980.

The Wanderers Stadium has a capacity of 34 000 and hosted preliminary matches and then the final match of the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

R60-million has been spent on stadium upgrades as a result of South Africa’s return to International cricket in 1991.

This then included the Centenary Pavilion at the north end of the ground and Unity Pavilion, at the south end of the ground.

Memorial Pavilion, on the northwest side, was then completed in October 1994. While a year later the Western Pavilion was refurbished.

Within months of this the four 30-metre high floodlights were accordingly replaced with five new masts, each 65-metre high.

This then enabled the Wanderers Stadium to host its first day/night limited-over’s international – this between South Africa and Zimbabwe on 31 January 1997.

Consequently Wanderers stadium is now regarded as one of the best stadiums in world cricket for day/night games.

Accordingly, South Africa’s ultimate Cricket Stadium.

Rand Stadium – Johannesburg

Rand Stadium, located in Rosettenville, a suburb located in Southern Johannesburg.

The stadium was constructed in 1949 at a cost of £60,000, with a then capacity of 15,000.

First renovations in 1964 and additionally in 1976 that saw flood lighting used for the first time.

Had it not been for the 2010 World Cup, the Rand Stadium would have then been demolished in 2006.

The Rand Stadium underwent a R76-million facelift, while retaining the original look and feel of the stadium.

Proudly retaining its old scoreboard, hence a reminder of the stadium’s history.

Then reopened in August 2008 and used as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Capacity: 28 000, in two tiers.

Supplied as a fully guided professional Sport Stadium tour.

Thus covering en-route as may be possible from collection to drop off.

As a result, not simply a point to point transfer with a driver.

Soccer City (FNB), South Africa’s Stadium of Stadium’s.

SOCCER CITY STADIUM (FNB Stadium) – Johannesburg/Soweto

Largest stadium in Africa. Located on the border of Soweto and known as Soccer City, however the correct name is the FNB Stadium.

Renovation on the stadium started early in 2006 and then completed early 2010. Thus just before the opening of the 2010 soccer world cup.

Soccer City stadium was the show-piece venue of the World Cup, accordingly hosting both opening and closing matches and ceremonies.

Design Features: African pottery and calabash (South African squash) inspired.

Cost: R1.5-billion.

Capacity: 97 400.

Soccer world cup featured matches:

Two warm up matches accordingly before the opening of the world cup.

The opening match.

Five 1st round matches.

One 2nd round match.

One quarter final and then the final between Holland and Spain.

While future use – All-purpose stadium:

Rugby – South Africa has played international games in the stadium.

Music events – Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen as well as U2 performed at Soccer City.

Soccer – numerous games having been played here since the Soccer World Cup.

Tours through the stadium – to be booked in advance as it is not always possible then to get into the stadium.

For a Johannesburg/Soweto tour, the stadium tour is then only a stop outside.

Loftus Versfeld Stadium – Pretoria

The stadium has significant historical sporting importance. Loftus Versfeld, located in Pretoria, is the home of the Blue Bulls rugby franchise and additionally Mamelodi Sundowns soccer team.

Built in 1928 and then renovated several times, requiring only minimum upgrades for the 2010 world cup.

Design Features: Performance oriented stadium accordingly without design extravagances.

CAPACITY: 50 000. Soccer world cup featured matches: Four 1st round games then one 2nd round match.

ELLIS PARK STADIUM – Johannesburg

Built in 1928, Ellis Park has significant historical sporting importance. Spiritual home of South African rugby while having hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, which South Africa won.

Home to both the Gauteng Lions rugby franchise and then Orlando Pirates. Ellis Park stadium is indeed a venue designed to intimidate visitors.

Steep, high seating with excellent acoustics, thus perfect for emotive sport fans.

Design Features: Located in the Johannesburg City centre. It is sharp-angled therefore imposing without obvious stylistic pretensions.

CAPACITY: 60 000. Ellis Park was then used during the Confederations cup in 2009 as the Soccer City stadium was not ready at this stage.

Soccer world cup matches thus featured:

Five 1st round matches

One 2nd round

One quarter-final

Then reverted to mainly Rugby use.

Orlando Stadium – Soweto

Built in 1959, costing £37 500 and seating 24 000 people, with it being home stadium to the then Johannesburg Bantu Football Association (JBFA).

Orlando Stadium has additionally had as their home ground, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows.

Additionally, Orlando Stadium was the intended destination of the June 16th, 1976 march from Vilakazi street by the students of Soweto schools.

Then protesting against Afrikaans tuition.

R280-million revamp to the Stadium began in May 2006.

Then, with the new contemporary designed stadium reopening on 22 November 2008.

The Stadium’s capacity was significantly boosted to 40 000. Orlando Stadium is easily accessible for the disabled. With no stairs between the tiers and 280 wheelchair friendly seats.

Apart from countless Soweto derbies, the Orlando Stadium has hosted athletics meetings, boxing matches, as well as jazz festivals and concerts.

Orlando Stadium has bared witness to many notable moments in South Africa’s history.

Including the struggle hero, Walter Sisulu memorial service at the Orlando Stadium in 1993, attended by both Thabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela.