News

The South African city of Cape Town is set to improve its appeal to travellers by revamping its City Hall.

A major project has been launched to give the hall a new lease of life and turn it into a top location for music events and cultural tourism.

Cape Town's City Hall has become something of an iconic building after former South African president Nelson Mandela made his first speech there after being released from prison in 1990.

Development of the hall will go hand in hand with work on the Grand Parade and other locations around Cape Town ahead of the Fifa World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Andrew Boraine, chief executive of the Cape Town Partnership, said: 'The City Hall should be a music centre to cater for all the people of Cape Town's music tastes.

'We will achieve this by establishing a sustainable cultural centre for the city of Cape Town with an emphasis on the promotion of acoustic music, including performance venues, rehearsal space and supporting services.'

Laura Robinson, director of the Cape Town Heritage Trust, added: 'A restored City Hall is one of the keys that will unlock the revitalisation of the East City and make it into a truly cultural precinct.'

If you'd like to see this destination for yourself, use Opodo's travel search engine to find flights, hotels, holidays and car hire worldwide.