Excitement Builds On Site At Tennent's Vital As Organisers Prepare For 65,000 Music Lovers This Weekend

ORGANISERS of Tennent’s Vital will welcome a whopping 65,000 people through the gates at the festival this weekend at the Boucher Playing Fields in Belfast.

And we have a sneaky peak behind the scenes to give you a taste of what’s to come.

View From The Stage

Taking to the stage over the 2-day festival will be superstar DJ Calvin Harris, popstar Ellie Goulding, John Newman, Disciples and Burn on Saturday August 29 and Irish rockers The Script and Kodaline along with Clean Bandit, Annie Mac and Jack Savoretti on Sunday August 30.

The music stars will be relaxing backstage in a specially constructed porta-cabin village complete with everything they need.

Calvin Harris and the boys in The Script will lounge on black leather sofas in fully carpeted, curtained and furnished luxury backstage porta-cabins.

Sneaky Peak In The Artist’s Village

A decorated communal tent area will provide shade, shelter and drinks for the the artists to mingle.

The backstage village has also been decked out in garden furniture in anticipation of good weather and railway sleepers have been laid as benches throughout.

And of course sponsors Tennent’s Vital will make sure each of the fridges are well sticked throughout the weekend.

Check Out Our Backstage Gallery

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

According to promoters MCD the event is set to be one of the biggest outdoor festivals Belfast has seen in a number of years.

And here’s the numbers to prove it:

65,000 people coming through the doors of which 3,000 each day will receive ‘golden circle’ tickets for a VIP area at the front of the stage

Around 650 toilets will be positioned around the site in anticipation of their frequent use due to the 80 metre Tennent’s bar serving alcohol throughout the weekend and 40 catering stalls selling everything from burgers and chips to crepes and hogroast.

Check Out Our Vital Site Gallery

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Of course the boring stuff is that the PSNI, while “looking forward” to the event, are adopting a strict policy on alcohol and drugs.

It’s really quite simple – don’t take drugs, don’t drink like a mental case and if you’re caught with booze where you shouldn’t be or where it shouldn’t be then they will take it away. They have alcohol checkpoints, will be searching coaches and have sniffer dogs on hand to find even the smallest amount of illegal contraband.

Translink are equally equipped for the event and are asking people to plan their journeys in an attempt to make the most of the services availale. They will be increasing provision throughout the weekend which includes late night trains travelling towards Portadown and Coleraine as well as special festival coaches heading to the event from across the country and a metro shuttle bus service.

Get your tickets for The Script on Sunday night from www.ticketmaster.ie Calvin Harris is sold out. Gates will open each day at 4pm for concert finishing at 10.55pm