A Belfast City Councillor who was previously highly critical of the Belsonic festival’s effect on local neighbourhoods has praised the organisers for this year’s events.
John Kyle, Ulster Unionist Party Councillor for Titanic, at the monthly meeting of the full Belfast Council on Monday applauded the management of this year’s festival at Ormeau Park, stating the organisers showed “integrity” in their dealings with community representatives.
Councillor Kyle told the chamber at City Hall: “Last year I was very vocal in my criticism of Belsonic, the antisocial behaviour, and the significant and severe disruption that there was about the gigs. I want to say this year has seen a marked improvement.
Read more: Boucher Road Playing Fields to remain an entertainment venue despite complaints and objection
“We engaged with the management of Belsonic. Community representatives, local residents and Belsonic management came together. We had very good meetings, identifying the issues and the problems, and identifying the solutions.
“Belsonic in fairness responded with great integrity, and brought about changes that made a significant difference to the lives of residents, particularly at the Ravenhill Road end of things.”
Belsonic 2022 this year was held between June 13 and 26, with the likes of Iron Maiden, Calvin Harris and Liam Gallagher playing at concerts in Ormeau Park. Last year Councillor Kyle accused the organisers of not engaging suffiently with the local community, and gave a long list of concerns from residents, including mass parking, drunken children, loitering in entries, and gardens being used as toilets.
Councillor Kyle added: “There is still work to be done, further improvements that need to be achieved.
“But it has to be said, we have seen major improvements. It underlines how good communication, how treating local residents with respect by listening to them, and how working closely together can make a real difference. Both to the event goers and the local residents.
“So I want to recognise what Belsonic has done, and the difference it has made for local residents.”
Last month Boucher Road Playing Fields were voted by councillors to remain a venue for music gigs and other events, despite complaints from local residents and an objection to its licence renewal.
Boucher Road Playing Fields, which is public land owned by the council like Ormeau Park, has been used to provide large outdoor concerts for 10 years, and currently holds both a 14 Day Occasional Outdoor Entertainments Licence and a 14 Day Marquee Entertainments Licence.
The council licensing report on the renewal application had a document listing 26 complaints and enquiries, largely regarding noise, made during the AVA festival at the playing fields last September. They were from a range of addresses across Belfast.
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