21/10/2013

Lottery Draw For Van Morrison Concert

Free tickets for a Van Morrison concert, which is being organised to celebrate the singer being granted the freedom of Belfast, will be drawn from a lottery.

The singer is due to be awarded with the honour on Friday 15 November and following the ceremony, he will perform a free concert at the Waterfront Hall in the city.

A total of 2,000 tickets will be made available and those interested can apply online or in person at the Waterfront from 10am on Tuesday 22 October.

Online applications can be made via the Belfast City Council and Waterfront Hall websites.

Members of the public can apply for the draw until 5pm on Wednesday 30 October.

A computerised draw will then be made to ensure people from all parts of the city will be successful in receiving tickets.

Tickets, which are free of charge, will be available only to those who live in the Belfast City Council electoral area. Successful applicants will each receive two tickets to the gig.

Lord Mayor Councillor Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, who will make a presentation to Van Morrison to mark the conferring of Freedom of the City on the evening, said: "We are expecting a huge level of interest and our only disappointment is not being able to accommodate all of Van's fans who will want to be there.

"It will be a very special occasion and will live long in the memory of those in attendance. The term living legend is too loosely thrown around these days but there is no doubting Van Morrison's eligibility for such status due to his incredible talent as a songwriter, musician and vocalist."

Last month, Morrison released a statement of thanks, saying he was "delighted and honoured" to receive the freedom of Belfast.

He added: "Belfast is my home. It is where I first heard the music that influenced and inspired me, it is where I first performed and it is somewhere I have referred back to many times in my song-writing over the past fifty years."

(JP/CD)

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