Brandenburg opens World Cup.

21 Jan, 2006

Following the cancellation of the opening gala extravaganza planned for the World Cup at the Berlin Olympic stadium, the mayor of Berlin has announced that celebrations will go ahead anyway. The venue for the party, which will now substitute the gala, is the Brandenburg Gate, and FIFA, the International Football Federation, is to put up 1 million towards the cost of the event. The escalating costs of the gala and potential damage to the pitch of the Olympic stadium have been cited as the reasons behind FIFA pulling the plug on the original event. The Brandenburg Gate party will take place on 7 June, two days before the World Cup football finals kick-off in Berlin. The city council is now searching for sponsors to fund the festivities.