Havana, Mar 26 (IANS): The historic concert of legendary British rock band The Rolling Stones in Cuba has drawn huge crowds to Havana's Sports City.

The band was greeted at the free show on Friday night by tens of thousands of fans not only from Havana, but other provinces and even countries, who were eager not to miss the chance to see the rock icons, Efe news agency reported.

At the start of the concert, lead singer Mick Jagger greeted the audience in Spanish, saying: "Hello, Havana. Good evening my people of Cuba" before opening the set with 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'.

Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, bassist Ron Wood, and drummer Charlie Watts, arrived in Havana on Thursday to perform the show, which has been dubbed the "Friendship Concert".

The concert will be filmed for a documentary about the tour of the band responsible for hits like 'Satisfaction' and 'Start Me Up'.

The first Rolling Stones concert in Cuba has a special significance in a country where foreign rock, though not expressly forbidden, suffered censorship during the sixties.