Ten years on since A-listers flocked to Belfast for Van Morrison's Birthday Bash

This weekend marks a huge milestone for Belfast’s own Van Morrison as the legendary singer turns 80.

It’s hard to believe that a decade has passed since fans lined the famous Cyprus Avenue in East Belfast for a once-in-a-lifetime concert to celebrate his 70th birthday. The normally busy street was closed off for the occasion, with a massive stage built at the Beersbridge Road end where Van performed a special homecoming set.

The atmosphere that day was electric, with locals rubbing shoulders with a string of famous faces who had flown in to see the star perform in the neighbourhood that inspired one of his best-loved songs.

Among the crowd were local politicians Arlene Foster and Naomi Long, while Hollywood actor Robert Pattinson, then in Belfast filming The Lost City of Z alongside Sienna Miller and Charlie Hunnam, was also spotted enjoying the show.

They weren’t the only well-known names to turn up. Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall, celebrity chef Rick Stein and his wife Sarah, Welsh singer Cerys Matthews, Formula One’s Eddie Irvine and acclaimed musician David Holmes all joined the celebrations on Cyprus Avenue.

That unforgettable concert remains one of the standout moments in Belfast’s musical history, and with Van Morrison reaching his 80th birthday this weekend, fans across the world will be raising a glass once again to mark the occasion.

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