Singer Van Morrison to play free gig in Belfast over Freedom of the City honour

VAN Morrison is to play a free concert in his home city to mark his Freedom of Belfast honour.

‘Van The Man’ is to perform his gig at the Ulster Hall on Friday, November 15, after he receives his gong from Belfast City Council.

The double bill is being talked up as the highlight of the fourth annual Belfast Music Week.

Following Belfast City Council’s decision on Monday to bestow the Freedom of the City on the 68-year-old, Van Morrison issued a statement on his website, saying: “Belfast is my home.

“It is where I first heard the music that influenced and inspired me.

“It is where I first performed and it is somewhere I have referred back to many times in my songwriting over the past 50 years.

“I am delighted and honoured to receive the Freedom of the City.”

George Ivan Morrison is only the second person in 10 years to receive the accolade – the highest a council can bestow. The other was Olympic Golden Girl Dame Mary Peters.

Sinn Fein Lord Mayor of Belfast Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said he hoped the November concert would help deliver the best Belfast Music Week yet.

“The music sector in Belfast has grown significantly over the past three years, and now plays a key role in the overall economic development of the city,” he said.