Welsh rock group, The Stereophonics, will tonight tread tentatively in the footsteps of U2, REM, David Bowie and Queen when they headline the Slane Castle festival in Meath today.
Sixty-thousand people are expected to attend, 20,000 fewer than flocked to each of U2's sell-out shows last year.
With good weather forecast, concert-goers have been urged to dress appropriately, bring sunglasses and sun protection, and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
Purveyors of robust, if resolutely unspectacular, blue-collar pub rock, The Stereophonics are regarded by many as an unconventional choice for the main act at Ireland's oldest open-air music festival on its 21st anniversary.
In the absence of a headline act with the global profile of some past performers, the build-up to the concert has been muted. There has been little of the hype of previous years, and tickets, priced €49.50, will still be on sale at the venue today.
Hoping to compensate for The Stereophonics' selective appeal, the organisers have assembled an eclectic support bill, juxtaposing perennially popular indie-rock group The Charlatans, angst-ridden 'nu-metal' outfit Nickelback, traditionalist guitar band Ocean Colour Scene, darling of the critics Doves, wistful California rockers Counting Crows, and Irish punk trio, The Revs.
A major security operation is being mounted. Around 600 gardaí will be on duty and the local district court will hold a special sitting to process arrests.
Concert-goers have been asked to allow sufficient time to travel to and from the venue. Slane is 26 miles from Dublin and camping is prohibited.
Slane Castle's owner, Lord Henry Mountcharles, has warned potential gate-crashers about the dangers of the River Boyne, which borders the concert site.
"It is known as a hungry river - admire it but stay away from it. If you think you can swim across it, you are crazy," he said.
Some 500 staff will be working on the site to serve 100,000 hotdogs, 150,000 hamburgers, 250,000 breadrolls, 10,000 litres of ketchup and 250,000 pints of liquid to the fans. Over 150 staff have worked for 10 days to erect the main stage which weighs 100 tonnes and stands 75 feet high.
Despite its comparatively low profile, this year's festival has already been marked by controversy. Infamously disdainful of music journalists, The Stereophonics caused a minor stir when they launched a scathing attack on experimental rock band Radiohead during a promotional interview for today's concert. The band's drummer, Stuart Cable, provoked the wrath of thousands of Irish Radiohead fans when he branded frontman Thom Yorke a "miserable b******".
Gates open at 11 a.m. with the first act due on stage an hour later.
Dublin Bus is providing over 200 buses and expects to carry up to 25,000 fans in each direction. Buses from Dublin to Slane leave from Parnell Square west.
The first bus leaves at 8.30 a.m. and then every 20 minutes until 4:30 p.m. Return fare is €17.00. Tickets must be bought at Dublin Bus Head Office, 59 O'Connell St, Dublin. The Dublin Bus Nitelink service will operate extra buses until 4:30 a.m. Bus Éireann is operating a special coach service for those who bought tickets before 5.00 p.m yesterday. Buses will leave Busáras, Store Street, Dublin from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m, returning to Dublin after the concert.