Thousands of people on Thursday went to the Orlando Stadium in South Africa's biggest township to attend the first World Cup concert on the eve of the world's most watched sporting event.

The almost freezing temperatures didn't stop the crowd from applauding and cheering as footballers and local and international artists went up the stage of the first music event held for the World Cup opening.

"The whole world has come to Soweto... and football was one of the things that helped people realise that we are connected -- that wonderful game that brought a country together," Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am told Reuters before they opened the concert.

"This is humanity coming together."

It was broadcasted live around the globe. The official World Cup anthem "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was sung by Colombian pop star Shakira with South African group Freshly Ground.

Both the old and the young waved South African flags and sang "Shosholoza", a local tune usually sung during soccer matches.

The scene in the stadium was similar to an event in 1995, when South Africa won the rugby World Cup. It was widely seen as uniting a country long divided by racial lines.

"This is history in the making. Only 15 years ago we were unsure of our identity, but here we stand as one nation," said Vanitha Govender, a Standard Bank employee.