Crowd of 10,000 attends largest open-air music event in Ireland since start of pandemic

Proof of vaccination, recovery from Covid-19 in previous six months or negative test needed for entry

The crowd at Sunday night’s dance music event in Belfast as part of Féile an Phobail. Photograph: Féile an Phobail/Twitter
The crowd at Sunday night’s dance music event in Belfast as part of Féile an Phobail. Photograph: Féile an Phobail/Twitter

A crowd of 10,000 people have attended an open-air event in Falls Park, Belfast – the biggest crowd at a music event in Ireland since the start of the pandemic.

The crowds were present on Sunday night as part of this year’s Féile an Phobail which is being held both in person and online.

The Diversionary Féile Music Night, featured international DJ Paul Van Dyk and Judge Jules.

The mostly young dance fans attending had to prove they had been fully vaccinated, an NHS lateral flow test within 48 hours of the event which proved to be negative or recovered from a Covid-19 infection within the previous six months.

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Such was the demand for the event that 500 free tickets were given away to young people who attended a Féile vaccination unit on August 3rd. Crowds started to form at 6am to get the tickets.

On Friday night, Falls Park hosted a boxing night involving local former Olympian Michael Conlan who won the interim WBA featherweight world title points win over TJ Doheny. That too was a sold-out event.

Other upcoming events are the Cage Conflict IV MMA Fight Night, Back to the 80s, and The Wolfe Tones.

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times