Tenor Bocelli to sing at World Cup finale

Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli and Canadian rocker Bryan Adams have been lined up to perform in a swansong concert for the football World Cup in South Africa, organisers said on Thursday.

Bocelli, a tenor who has sold more than 65 million discs worldwide, will be joined onstage in Johannesburg by the flautist and his compatriot Andrea Griminelli as well as a local 60-strong choir, the ticket vendor Computicket said on its website.

The concert is being staged on July 9, two days before the final of the month-long competition.

Stars including Alicia Keys, Shakira and the Black Eyed Peas are all scheduled to perform at the opening ceremony for the tournament which has been criticised for not featuring more local talent in the line-up.

jhb/co