Addis Ababa was bustling today with last-minute sprucing-up as Ethiopia prepared to ring in the new millennium with an all-night party, nearly seven years after the rest of the world.

Thousands of Ethiopians and Rastafarians were jamming on a hot Sunday in Addis Ababa’s main square as Ethiopia threw a birthday bash for the late reggae star Bob Marley, in what is billed as the country’s largest concert.