ORGANISERS of the Belsonic Festival – which is due to take place in Ormeau Park next month – have written to local residents informing them of the work being done in the area in preparation for the festival – as well as informing them how to deal with any potential noise complaints.
Belsonic is due to take place in Ormeau Park between 13 June to 26 June. Huge names are lined up including Iron Maiden, Gerry Cinnamon, Tiesto, Liam Gallagher, DJ Scooter and Lewis Capaldi. Crowds are expected to be up to 20,000 for the headline acts.
In the letter residents are advised: “The site will begin building on 16 May and will be dismantled on 27 June 2022. Work will commence at 9am and finish by 11pm but there will be no music or live events taking place other than during the nine planned festival days. All of our events will be held in the open air with the main stage facing the River Lagan.”
The festival organisers state they have consulted with the PSNI about security and crowd management including procedures put in place to manage transport in and out of the festival.
"The Ormeau Embankment will be used for Translink buses, private coaches and disabled parking only and this will assist in keeping private cars away from the vicinity. We will endeavour to keep the surrounding roads free from concert going vehicles. Various road signage and advance multimedia announcements will also be in place well before the event to reinforce parking arrangements.”
Regarding sound testing ahead of the festival, Belsonic have said that tests will be carried out on Saturday 11 June between 4pm and 6pm for around 45 minutes, and also with a short sound test at lunch-time on Saturday.
“Given the proximity of nearby residential and commercial premises to the venue, we acknowledge music from the events may be audible to those living in the immediate vicinity. As part of the event you may also hear announcements from the PA Tannoy system, particularly at the end of each concert, but these are required to relay important safetry and security information to the attending patrons.”
The curfew for each concert is 11pm.
SDLP councillor Gary McKeown said residents have regularly raised concerns with him about concerts.
"While sharing information in advance with some residents is welcome, it is no substitute for proper consultation and engagement with the community and elected representatives to identify what the problems are and what solutions might be found.
"Belfast City Council has a duty of care to people who live in this city and those who are visiting, and for me this extends to external events which are taking place on council property. We need a properly planned and adequately funded set of arrangements put in place for managing concerts like this to minimise the impact on neighbours and maximise the safety and ability to get in and out of the area quickly for concert-goers."
Sinn Féin Councillor John Gormley said: “The letter is welcome – if the actions are followed through. Residents from the Holylands have spoken with me about concerns outside of the festival, such as toilet provision and the welfare of concert-goers, as people’s alleyways and walls have been used in the past, and some festival-goers had consumed a lot of alcohol. We feel the festival needed to do more outside of the festival, and the issues around parking, toilet provision and signage seem to have been addressed. We are hoping that during the festival these will be followed out.”
