JOHANNESBURG (AFP) — Nelson Mandela said on Monday that the next concert of his "46664" AIDS campaign would take place for the first time in Johannesburg on December 1 and in conjunction with World AIDS Day.
It will be the fifth such concert, launched in 2003 as part of the campaign "46664" -- the former South African president's old prison number -- under which 20 million rand (two million euros, three million dollars) has been raised for AIDS projects in sub-Saharan Africa.
"I am happy that we can deliver to the people of Johannesburg. We look forward to be joined by thousands of citizens on that day," the hero of South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle and Nobel laureate said.
Some 50,000 people are expected to attend the concert in which about 30 local and foreign artists will perform at the Ellis Park stadium in the city centre.
The list of participating artists is expected to be made public at the end of next month and tickets for the show will be sold for between 120 and 450 rand.
Around 5.5 million people out of South Africa's population of 48 million are infected with HIV.
Previous "46664" concerts, in which stars such as Queen, Cat Stevens, Annie Lennox and South Africans such as Johnny Clegg participated, took place in Cape Town and the Western Cape city of George, as well as in Spain and Norway.
Another edition is scheduled for June 27 next year in London to mark Mandela's 90th birthday.
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