Upcoming performances from Fontaines D.C., Kneecap and Sam Fender in Belfast have been thrown into question due to safety concerns.
The gigs are set to take place this year, and will all be held at the same site at the council-owned Boucher Road Playing Fields. However, there is now a dispute over whether the shows can continue due to a disagreement over “health and safety arrangements”.
Previously, the Boucher Road venue has used a neighbouring site as an emergency exit point for concertgoers. This space is held by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) – but this year the fire services have not given permission to Belfast City Council for its usage.
The main area where the performances are held holds roughly 40,000 people, and without a clear emergency exit route laid out, the future of the scheduled shows has been thrown into doubt.
As highlighted by BBC, the issues extend further, as it is “also understood the fire service has questioned whether using the site would impact on a rates discount for unoccupied properties.” It is not clear to what extent property appeal prevents communal use of the space.
In a new statement, a spokesperson for the NIFRS said that it has “vacated the site and would be supportive of an agreement that would see the lease revert to Belfast City Council control, enabling the necessary health and safety arrangements to be put in place for the summer shows” (via Far Out). They also said that the NIFRS and its board are the ones responsible for providing a solution.
Belfast you SOLD OUT 40,000 in 35 minutes…..this one will be epic ❤️ https://t.co/4Zn6pSwO6P pic.twitter.com/CqaSFujoUO
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 25, 2025
One of the shows in Belfast, which will see Fontaines D.C. headline and Kneecap play as support, has also come under threat from the DUP. Recently, the party’s leader Sarah Bunting suggested that the council review the licence of the event following Kneecap’s Coachella performances and controversial comments around politicians and Hezbollah in 2024.
The shows in Belfast aren’t the only ones to have come under threat due to logistics recently. Earlier this month it was reported that live music events in London’s Brockwell Park may be in jeopardy after a campaigner won a High Court challenge over its use.
It hosts events such as Mighty Hoopla, Wide Awake, Field Day and more, which are licensed by Lambeth Council, however a local resident took legal action against the council and argued that they didn’t have correct planning permission. The judge ruled in her favour, and the ruling caused concern for the plight of the many festivals that were due to be held on the site this summer. The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) warned of the possibility of a “devastating blow” to London culture as a result.
Since then, organisers gave an official update on the festivals’ status and said that “all events in the series will go ahead as planned,” despite the judge’s ruling.
It remains unclear whether shows from Fontaines D.C., Kneecap and Sam Fender will be affected by the health and safety disagreement, and none of the artists have yet commented on the situation.
