THE MTV European Music Awards in Belfast tomorrow should pave the way for the city to host more world-class events in the future, the Sinn Féin lord mayor Niall Ó Donnghaile stated yesterday when welcoming the global pop extravaganza.
Well over 20,000 music fans are expected to attend the awards and concerts taking place around the central events today and tomorrow. The actual MTV awards at the Odyssey Arena tomorrow night will be broadcast to a worldwide audience of up to 600 million people.
Several concerts are taking place in Belfast in parallel with the event including one by Kasabian in the Ulster Hall tonight. But tomorrow is when the big international stars hit town.
Among the big names at the Odyssey will be Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Coldplay ,while outside Belfast City Hall local favourites Snow Patrol will entertain a huge crowd. Not too far away, the Ulster Hall will be thumping to the sound of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Belfast’s youngest lord mayor, 25-year-old Mr Ó Donnghaile will be among the fans attending the awards. “The excitement has been building steadily over the last number of months and weeks, and now this weekend is finally here,” he said yesterday.
“This is such a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase this great city and all it has to offer to a global audience,” he added.
“I am confident that all who visit us will be impressed by our world-class facilities and the warmth of our hospitality. To host such a prestigious international event paves the way for Belfast to attract even more world-class events in the future.”
The PSNI is liaising with the city council, Translink and other services to try to ensure everything runs smoothly. “With thousands of people visiting the city to participate in the music events, there will undoubtedly be challenges for police and our partner agencies to minimise disruption.
“We will all be working in close partnership to achieve this,” said Supt Nigel Goddard.