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Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will play Boucher Playing Fields Belfast on Thursday 9th May ‘at 7pm sharp’.

Excitement is building for the event – where the organisers, Aiken Promotions say the 74-year-old iconic singer will appear on stage with ‘NO support.

‘Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will take to the stage at 7pm sharp.

However Boucher Playing Fields will open at 5pm.

A statement released by the PSNI confirms there will be traffic disruption in the area between midday and midnight on May 9 for the Bruce Springsteen concert. The planned road closures are:

Boucher Road – one lane (city bound) will be closed between its junction with Shane’s Retail Park and Boucher Crescent between 5pm and 8pm
Boucher Road – fully closed between its junctions with Tates Avenue and Stockmans Lane between 8pm and 12am (midnight)
Stockmans Lane – fully closed between its junctions with Balmoral interchange and Lisburn Road between 8pm and 12am (midnight)
Balmoral Road and Link – fully closed from 12pm (midday) – 12am (midnight)

The statement adds that diversions will be in place and sign posted, accessible parking will be available in Balmoral Road, where coaches will also be parked but will not be able to leave until permitted.

Thay add that there will be no pick up and drop off points within the road closure area.

Superintendent Busch also reminded concert goers to be respectful of local businesses and residents, particularly when leaving the concert.

He said: “We want everyone attending the concert to have a great night, to stay safe, and remember the event for all the right reasons.

“Please act responsibly, stay with your friends and look after one another – and if you need help during the evening speak with event staff or the police.”Information on the expected traffic disruptions can be obtained from the Traffic Information and Control Centre on 08457 123321, or via www.trafficwatchni.com

Please visit Translink’s website - www.translink.co.uk – for details on train and bus shuffles.

Tickets for the Belfast Spruce Springsteen show which went on sale on November 7 retailing at £126.

While tickets for the Cork and Kilkenny shows were sold out in 90 minutes, Belfast and Croke Park were reportedly slower sellers.

Advice for those travelling to the event says that ‘Thursday is a busy day in Belfast, particularly in the Boucher Road retail parks and Shane’s Park shopping areas.

‘Please allow yourself plenty of time to get to the venue so as to get in well before the start of the show.

The American rock star, who is set to play a number of gigs in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has been performing concerts on the island of Ireland for 40 years – and will now perform in Belfast, Kilkenny, Cork and Dublin as part of his world tour.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will take to the stage at Boucher Road in Belfast on May 9, Nowlan Park in Kilkenny on May 12, Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork on May 16 and Croke Park in Dublin on May 19.

“One million people in Ireland will have been to see him. It’s phenomenal,” promoter Peter Aiken said.

The gig boss also said Springsteen’s Irish fans are among the youngest in the world.

“I think young people listen to him with their parents. They are in the car and then eventually they do like it,” he told the PA news agency.

“I said that to my kids when they were listening to Bob Dylan, that one day you will like it, and they do now.

“There’s people my age at the concerts but there’s a lot of young people who go too, it’s great. It’s just the way we are here.

“It will be amazing.”

Around 80,000 fans will fill Croke Park on May 19.

Concert fans were also reminded that the stadium is in a residential area and have been urged to be respectful of residents’ property.

Fans have also been urged to use public transport to get to the concert, and to use buses, Dart and the Luas.

Peter McKenna, Croke Park stadium director, said: “A big concert like this is great for the city but it’s very important to stress to fans when they come up to the (concert) that they are coming into a local area and to show respect to the local community.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing one of the greatest acts. He is starting at seven o’clock, there’s no back-up. The man, I don’t know where he gets his energy from, but he’ll give it everything, that’s for sure. So it will be a great night for all those who are here.”

Shane Mates, head of operations at Aiken Promotions, said Springsteen and his band will play for around three hours.

He said Croke Park will open at 5pm, with the concert starting at 7pm.

It is also advised that there are a number of special bus and rail services that have been put on for the gig by Translink, both for getting to Belfast and the Boucher Road.

And there is a special bus to the playing fields from Foyleside bus centre in Londonderry, which leaves at 4.30pm and picks up in Drumahoe, Claudy, Dungiven, Maghera and Toome.

The bus will go back to Derry at 11.30pm and customers need to be back to the coach at least 15 minutes before it leaves. But tickets for this service have now sold out.

However if you want to take a train you can get any Bangor, Coleraine, Larne or Portadown line service to Balmoral Train Station.

To get home, shuttle services will operate between 10.45pm and 11:45 frompm Balmoral Train Station to Belfast's Great Victoria Street Station.

There will also be trains stopping at selected stops on the Portadown line.

And fans are further advised that ‘early queuing will not be permitted’ in the streets around the venue to ‘respect the privacy of the residents and businesses in the local community’.

And when ‘leaving Boucher Playing Fields please take your time, please walk slowly’ and ‘please remember to protect the privacy of the residents and respect the local community when arriving and leaving’.

They add that there ‘is no parking in the vicinity of the venue’ but ‘Boucher Playing Fields is well served by public transport’.

Concert-goers are also asked to keep an eye on these sites for information –

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