Fatboy Slim and Bicep among line-up at Belfast music festival

Adam Mandeville

BBC News NI

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Fatboy Slim, pictured playing at Glastonbury in June, will headline the festival

The biggest electronic music festival on the island of Ireland returns on Saturday and Sunday, with more than 40,000 fans set to attend.

Boucher Playing Fields in south Belfast hosts the Emerge dance festival.

More than 70 acts will be performing over the two days, including Fatboy Slim and Bicep.

Alan Simms, one of the Festival Organisers, said Emerge was a “great mix” of both techno and “really big party festival stuff”.

He has played across Europe and in Japan, Australia and New Zealand, but on Sunday DJ Mark Blair will be among the acts on the Emerge stage.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme, the DJ said it is “special” to play in his home country.

DJ Mark Blair will be playing at the festival on Sunday

“I play two shows in Belfast every year, one in the telegraph building and one at emerge, and both of them are the absolute highlight of my year,” he said.

“I spend the whole year preparing myself for them, making private edits, preparing music and it absolutely does not compare to anywhere in the world.

“And people think I say that just cause I’m from Belfast, but every international DJ will one hundred per cent agree with me on that.”

Mark said he started with a “cheap pair of decks” when he was a teenager and worked his way up.

“The first five years there was a lot of playing to no one, there would be no one in the club,” he said.

“And to be fair, there is still gigs even at this stage where there is not a great crowd, it’s just a part of the job. You deal with it, you put on a good show and you don’t let it affect you.”

Alan Simms is one of the organisers of Emerge

Festival organiser Mr Simms said he is looking forward to seeing Fatboy Slim.

“That’s a real big world class festival headliner,” he said.

“It’s great to have an artist of that calibre play.”

Mr Simms said the continued popularity of the festival for music fans from abroad was proof of Emerge’s success.

“We sell a lot of tickets outside of the island of Ireland,” he said.

“Word must be spreading, and the word must be good.”

Mr Simms said those visiting – and playing at – the festival would see Belfast “at its best”.

“Irish audiences are lively, and they show their appreciation,” he said.

“I think artists appreciate that.”

Pacemaker

The stage is set in south Belfast

How do I get to Emerge?

Pacemaker

Boucher Playing Fields can be accessed by public transport, foot, car, or taxi.

Extra train services have been put on from Balmoral train station after the music finishes each night.

People returning to Belfast city centre can also use the 9B Metro bus service departing from the Lisburn Road.

Organisers advised festival-goers who are planning to be picked up via car to arrange their collection point “well away from the site” due to road closures.

They recommended getting picked up on the Lisburn Road, or toward the city centre.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have advised motorists that a number of roads will be closed at various points during the weekend:

The city-bound lane one of Boucher Road, between its junction with Shane Retail Park and Balmoral Road, will be closed between 3pm and 9pm on Saturday and Sunday.Boucher Road will be closed between its junctions with Tates Avenue and Stockman’s Lane between 9pm and midnight on both days’Stockman’s Lane will be closed between its junction with Kennedy Way roundabout and Lisburn Road between 9pm and midnight on both days.The M1 off-slips – northbound at Kennedy Way and southbound at Stockmans Lane – will be closed from 9pm on both days.

The PSNI also issued a reminder to those attending the festival that “it is illegal to stop, park or walk on the hard shoulder of motorways”.

“Please be aware that fixed penalty tickets can also be issued to pedestrians.”