SUN International’s colourful CarnivalCity is celebrating its 16th birthday this month and the milestone will be marked with a super-charged line up of shows and promotions.

The month-long celebration will culminate with a toasting and cake cutting ceremony on the main casino floor at 20:00 on October 24. Visitors to the complex are welcome to join the festivities.
It is a sweet 16 for Carnival City. Over its 16 year history, Carnival City has become renowned for delivering premium shows, a variety of action-packed entertainment for families and a choice of restaurants under one roof. Staging a myriad of world-class events, super local and international shows and sporting events, Carnival City is an entertainment hub of Ekurhuleni.

However, it hasn’t only been about creating fun. Carnival City’s team has always known that the sustainability of the complex depends not only on their ability to deliver prime entertainment but also on their ability to support the building of a sustainable community and environment

So, from the very beginning, Carnival City put in place numerous social and environmental responsibility programmes, striving wherever possible to support organisations and initiatives with causes close to its heart – and the heart of the community.

“Our success over the years is due to the passion, commitment and enthusiasm of our team, and the support and loyalty of our community. We have no plans to lose any of the momentum we’ve gathered over the past 16 years. There is so much to look forward to, with great changes, more entertainment and even better facilities.

“We are continuously looking for ways to expand and diversify our offering. We are investing considerably in our upgrade project to enhance and extend our facilities in order to create a complete entertainment, leisure and hospitality hub,” says Annemie Turk, the General Manager at Carnival City.

Looking back

Carnival City was Sun International’s first casino and entertainment world in Gauteng and was appropriately named to reflect its bright and vibrant exterior and the atmosphere of excitement and fun.

The building of Carnival City was a massive undertaking and relied on the skills of more than 400 previously unemployed workers. In December 1998, the temporary Carnival City Casino opened its doors to the public with 500 coinless slot machines. During the opening in 1998, the first million was won on the Dream Machine. Since then, over 105 millionaires have been made at Carnival City on Wide Progressive Machines like Millennium Mania, Poker Magic, Dream Machine and Super Slam. Today, exciting Wide Area Progressive jackpots like Sun Striker and Duma offer gamers the opportunity to play for minimum jackpots of R600 000 (Duma) and R750 000 (Sun Striker).

When it officially opened in 1999, Carnival City was the first casino in South Africa to install Pit Track, a sophisticated player tracking and auditing system which eliminated paperwork and the manual input of table transactions.
Aside from thrilling gaming, Carnival City is also quickly became known for its expansive Big Top Arena which hasprovided the stage for numerous local and international acts. The 5 000 seater, multipurpose arena has hosted likes of Jonathan Butler, Michael Bolton, Barry Hilton, Ed Ed Kowalczyk, George Ezra and many more. The Big Top Arena stands 9m high and covers an area of 4 465 square metres. The main roof is 70 x 70 metres in diametre with 12 to 15 metres of interior roof structures.

An encompassing offering

Carnival City offers all round family entertainment including laser games at the Lazer Zone, Go-Karting on a simulated Grand Prix circuit, arcade games at the Magic Company and tin pinbowling. Other outdoor activities include a new play area with modern climbing frames and carnival stalls where youngsters can take a stab at winning prizes.

Currently undergoing refurbishment, Carnival City’s spectacular offering is evolving to ensure more choice and cosmopolitan experiences for guests. The stylish, newly-opened Harvest Grill and Wine offers an enticing menu of quality steak meals, other fashionable dishes, and premium wines. The Harvest Grill and Wine opens daily for lunch and dinner, providing a sophisticated yet value for money option for people seeking somewhere to eat and socialize. At Carnival City,there is something to suit all tastes and desires, from a quick bite at thefood court or a light lunch at Fego Café, to a hearty pizza or pasta at Giovanni’s.

Carnival City is also home to the brand new Thunder Eagle Spur and Panarottis which pride themselves on being restaurants for the whole family, catering for the needs of parents and kids. One of the highlights of the outlets at Carnival City is the large kids’ play area that the two restaurants share. The 192m2 space features play modulars and plenty of kids’ entertainment, making it an ideal venue for family get-togethers and birthday parties. The restaurants each have their own separate seating, with a capacity of 324 and 186 diners respectively.

The four-star Carnival Club hotel offers exceptional accommodation and service within the popular Carnival City complex, making it the perfect place from which to explore the array of restaurants and entertainment available. The hotel, initially featuring 98 rooms, was upgraded in year and extended to 105 rooms. The hotel boats a pool, spa and gym.