The growth of Monster Jam hit a new level this past weekend as fans in South Africa gathered at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The event, the first of a three-city tour, signaled Monster Jam’s first appearance on the continent of Africa. With this performance, Monster Jam has visited six continents around the globe. Future stops on the tour include Cape Town (April 27) and Johannesburg (May 4).
The first performance outside North America came with a show in Paris, France in 2001. Since then, regular visits to Europe have established generations of fans who await an arrival each year.
2013 was a pivotal year in Monster Jam growth. The first shows in Asia and Australia (Oceania) took place that year. A visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates was the gateway to Asia. Since then, visits to China, Japan and the Philippines have been some of the highlighted stops.
The Australian faithful watched the Monster Jam stars at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium in October, 2013, which spawned annual multi-city visits. The 2014 schedule also included New Zealand.
South American nations have hosted Monster Jam since late 2016 when Santiago, Chile opened the door to sellout crowds for four events. Brazil and Argentina have hosted Monster Jam shows.
Four of the drivers competing in South Africa have had the privilege of competing in the first event on a new continent. Charlie Pauken (Grave Digger®) and Candice Jolly (Monster Mutt® Dalmatian) were Monster Jam competitors for the first show in Australia and the first show in South America. Becky McDonough (El Toro Loco®) and Bari Musawwir (ZombieTM) were among the competitors at the first Asian show.
