ALMOST 80,000 fans will descend on Dublin’s Croke Park tomorrow for Westlife’s farewell tour. The concert kicks off the band’s two-day stop at the stadium to mark the finale of their last tour. Special guests are Lawson and The Wanted and Irish pop duo Jedward.
Met Éireann is forecasting rain across the country over the coming days, so revellers will be hoping it skips Croke Park as organisers have banned umbrellas.
“Be aware of the weather – the weather is quite variable at the moment, so dress appropriately. Be prepared but please don’t bring umbrellas because they obstruct the views of others and are not permitted in the stadium,” said Michael Slattery, events safety officer for MCD.
Banners, glowsticks, video cameras, food and alcohol are also not permitted in the stadium.
Gates for both concerts open at 4.30pm. Queuing for the events is not permitted before 4pm. Gardaí are urging fans to avail of public transport where possible. The concert is expected to finish at about 11pm.
The area around Clonliffe Road from Drumcondra to Ballybough including Jones’s Road will be cordoned off by 4pm. It may be necessary to cordon off the North Circular Road at times. The cordon will remain in place for the duration of the concerts.
About 700 stewards and security will be on site each night along with about 100 gardaí.
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers will play Croke Park next Tuesday, June 26th, along with The Vaccines and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The gates for this concert open at 5.30pm and no queuing will be allowed before 4pm. The traffic management plan will apply to all three upcoming concerts.
These three shows are worth about €50 million in revenue for Dublin’s city centre in terms of hotels, restaurants and other spending by fans, according to Chambers of Commerce Ireland.