The World Cup's opening celebrations will happen for two days with a big concert that will include performers like Shakira on Thursday before the performance of an unnamed artist at Friday's official ceremony.

The concert on Thursday anticipates millions of viewers, as it will be broadcasted live from the Orlando Stadium, which is a 40,000 seater in the heart of Johannesburg's Soweto township.

Tickets have already been previously sold out, with prices up to 1,400 rand ($A240). People are looking forward to Shakira's version of the tournament's official song "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" with pop group Freshlyground from South Africa.

Other artists who are expected to perform are the Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, John Legend and Colombian heart-throb rocker Juanes.

Also performing are top African musicians Angelique Kidjo from Benin, The Parlotones from South Africa and Amadou and Mariam, the blind musical duo from Mali.

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) refused to disclose the events on Friday's actual opening ceremony.

Lebo M, the Soweto-born musician behind Broadway's The Lion King, produced the 25-minute show at Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium.

President Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, selected British song "Hope", from rocker Russ Ballard and solo artist Chris Winter, to be played during the opening.

However, Siphiwo Ntshebe, the young black South African tapped by Mandela to sing the number, suddenly died of meningitis last month.

Lebo M has not yet confirmed whether how or if he will replace Ntshebe, who was just one of the 2,000 performers set to perform for a crowd of 95,000.

Meanwhile, the concert on Thursday in Soweto has stirred disputes from a local artists' union, who have summoned people to boycott the event unless more South African acts are included in the line-up.

"This is not an African event, we are telling the masses to stay away from this event," said Oupa Lebogo, general secretary of the Creative Workers of South Africa.

The government has urged the people to disregard the boycott, as the show will benefit a FIFA charity that uses football to promote public health and education in less-fortunate communities in Africa.