Tens of Thousands of Fans from Across the World Witness Tiësto Rock a Packed House LIVE from Smirnoff Experience™ South Africa ‘

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Over 65,000 fans from five continents joined a 3500-strong crowd in Johannesburg via a live stream for an exclusive performance by Tiësto at Smirnoff Experience™ South Africa ‘Mashup Street’

On Saturday night, more than 65,000 fans from five continents joined a 3500-strong crowd in an airplane hangar in Johannesburg for an exclusive performance by Tiësto at Smirnoff Experience™ South Africa ‘Mashup Street’, the latest in a globetrotting series of original nightlife events.

Tiësto’s three-hour set was complete with massive video screens, custom visuals synched in time to the music and confetti canons. The live premiere of his exclusive track collaboration with South African psych-rockers BLK JKS, “Dreaming”, was one of the climaxes of his live show with the band joining him on stage after his performance.

Of the experience, Tiësto said: “Thank you Smirnoff for throwing such a great party! I had an amazing time playing at Mashup Street – I didn't even realize that I played an hour and a half longer than I was supposed to! It was such a pleasure playing to the crowd in Johannesburg, I’m still thinking about it.”

Alongside Tiësto were performances by a host of vibrant emerging South African acts including BLK JKS, who were honored with ‘Best Alternative Album’ at the South Africa Music Awards just weeks ago. DJs SPECtacula, Dean Fuel and Ashton Abels kept the crowds dancing in between and all night long.

For those who couldn’t be there, fans tuned into a live stream of the event via a downloadable widget on Facebook – the first time ever Smirnoff has streamed one of its prestigious Smirnoff Experience™ events live, giving fans all over the world access to this unique experience.

Smirnoff will continue to offer fans exclusive content including videos and images of the experience, a special free video download of Tiësto’s experience in South Africa, as well as his latest track collaboration with the BLK JKS at www.facebook.com/smirnoff.

For this special event, Smirnoff transformed an empty airplane hangar into an unforgettable multimedia nightlife ‘mashup’ headlined by Tiësto, who usually plays massive clubs and stadiums. Guests were treated to themed ‘Afro Preppy’ and ‘Electro Punk’ bars, make-your-own cocktail touch-screen stations, an interactive graffiti wall, dancers and aerial performers.

The Tiësto concert, his collaboration with BLK JKS and Smirnoff Experience™ ‘Mashup Street’ South Africa is the latest installment from Smirnoff’s BE THERE program—a rallying cry calling on others to create, seek out and participate in more one-of-a-kind experiences.

The Smirnoff Experience™ series of global events celebrate originality in nightlife by forming one-off collaborations and championing original drinking experiences. Previous shows have taken place in Moscow, Paris, London, Shanghai and New York featuring Mark Ronson, Duran Duran, Faithless, Kelis, Nas, N*E*R*D and more.

All applicants must be above legal drinking age.

Terms & Conditions apply
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

Terms & Conditions apply
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

About Diageo

Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. Visit www.drinkaware.com and Diageo’s own global resource www.DRINKiQ.com for information and guidance on responsible drinking. In Great Britain, Diageo is a member of The Portman Group and supports The Drinkaware Trust.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

For more information:

Diageo Plc
Marisa Brickman, Global Head of PR Smirnoff
Marisa.Brickman@Diageo.com

Splendid Communications
Becca Graham
becca@splendidcommunications.com
+442073247200

Notes to Editors:

About Tiësto
Tiësto is the world's largest DJ, whose musical achievements are unsurpassed. Currently on his Kaleidoscope World Tour, which is the biggest DJ-only tour in history, Tiësto is playing a 14 month long schedule with over 150 dates across 6 continents to an unprecedented 1,000,000+ people.

Inspired by the likes of U2, his arena sized shows feature music which he writes and produces, including current hits with Nelly Furtado, Jónsi from Sigur Rós, Tegan & Sara, Three 6 Mafia and Calvin Harris. Also a renowned remixer, Tiësto's touch has been demanded by the likes of Muse, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Goldfrapp.

He has been nominated for a Grammy, performed at the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics with music he composed especially for the occasion, wowed the rock festival crowds at Coachella and Bonnaroo and currently has songs charting across the globe. He is, in short, the biggest DJ the world has ever seen.

About BLK JKS
BLK JKS defy description - with a wrecking crew rhythm section, debonair vocals, and guitar concoction of one part shred and two parts soul, BLK JKS shoot an African music sensibility through the tenets of rock. On the heels of a worldwide tour for the band's 2009 debut full-length After Robots (Secretly Canadian), BLK JKS recently won a South African Music Awards (SAMA) for ‘Best Alternative Album.’

The band's fresh, forward rhythm, layered harmony and elliptical guitar vernacular reveal the urban Zulu blues of mbaqanga that is the centre of BLK JKS song writing. Teaching themselves guitar on the same block where they both grew up, childhood friends Lindani Buthelezi and Mpumi Mcata formed the original alliance, and early BLK JKS shows garnered attention for their stacks of guitar drone and head-nodding beats.

After the band's current line-up took shape with the addition of bassist Molefi Makananise and drummer Tshepang Ramoba, both of Soweto, BLK JKS began work with a fresh approach and embarked on a heavy touring schedule throughout South Africa that earned them a national following. Breaking out to the US and Europe in 2008, the following year the band released After Robots—described by Mail & Guardian as "probably the most important South African album to have appeared in the past 20 years"—to international fanfare and critical acclaim. BLK JKS will release a new EP in advance of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.