FAMED opera singer Andrea Bocelli will close Africa's first World Cup in style when he entertains more than 11000 opera aficionados in two weeks' time.

FAMED opera singer Andrea Bocelli will close Africa's first World Cup in style when he entertains more than 11000 opera aficionados in two weeks' time.

Those eager to attend will have to hurry because only a 1000 tickets are left.

Concert publicists told Sowetan that 10000 tickets had already been sold since they went on sale in April.

Bocelli and Canadian rocker Bryan Adams of Please forgive Me and Everything I Do fame, will partner with South Africa's Pretty Yende to deliver a fitting sendoff to opera revellers at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg.

Bocelli - best known for his collaboration with Sarah Brightman titled Time to say goodbye and his rendition of popular ballads - will also be accompanied by Italian flautist Andrea Griminelli, the 60-member Gauteng Choristers and the equally numerically superior Johannesburg Festival Orchestra.

The orchestrawill be conducted by Marcello Rota, who is regarded as one of the world's leading conductors.

Doors to the Friday July 9 concert, titled Celebrate Africa - The Grand Finale, open at 6pm with the performers taking to the stage at 8.30pm.

Concert organisers said the show will go on for just more than two hours. Concertgoers are only allowed six tickets each and requests for refunds will not be entertained. Tickets have been on sale since April and prices range from R800 to R3500.