Van the Man ‘delighted’ to become Van the Freeman

Van Morrison yesterday expressed his pleasure at receiving the freedom of Belfast and announced he would play a free concert the night he was officially conferred.

In a statement he said he was "delighted and honoured" that Belfast City Council on Monday night voted to make him a freeman of his native city.

“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 songwriting over the past 50 years,” he said.

His conferment will take place in the Ulster Hall on November 15th.