It is located between the Elands River and the Pilanesberg, built on the land of Bakubung Village (known as Ledig) about 140 km (90 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg.

Those factors, as well as its relatively close location to the large metropolitan areas of Pretoria and Johannesburg, ensured that Sun City soon became a popular holiday and weekend destination.

Several acts disregarded the boycott and performed at the venue, such as The Beach Boys,[1] Linda Ronstadt,[1] Cher,[1] Ray Charles,[2] Millie Jackson,[1] Liza Minnelli,[1] Frank Sinatra (1981),[3] Shirley Bassey (1981), Olivia Newton-John (1982), Dolly Parton (1982), Neil Sedaka (1982), Paul Anka,[3] Status Quo,[4] Rod Stewart (July 1983),[3][4] Elton John (October 1983),[3] and Boney M.

Following the criticism, Queen strongly defended their decision, saying they "play to anybody who wants to come and listen" and were "a very non-political group", but donated to a school for the deaf and blind to assert their philanthropic values.

"[6] On 25 October 1980, Sun City's "Superbowl" hosted a racially mixed world heavyweight boxing championship fight between champion American Mike Weaver and challenger South African Gerrie Coetzee.

[7] In 1985, E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt made the venue the focus of his music-industry activist group Artists United Against Apartheid.

[8] In January 1986 the Skytrain people mover, built with Otis Hovair technology, took its first trip on a 1.71 km (1.06 mi) line that connects a remote parking lot to the Entertainment Centre.