Gardai have warned of major traffic diversions today and tomorrow around Lansdowne Road, in Dublin, where 80,000 fans are expected to attend two U2 concerts. A ban on parking will be in force on many of the roads surrounding the stadium from Saturday afternoon until after the concert on Sunday night. Illegally parked cars will be towed away. Only residents will be allowed access.
Drivers have been asked to leave their cars in official car parks in the city centre. The 5, 7, 7A, 8 and 45 bus routes service Lansdowne Road, which can also be reached from the Sandymount and Lansdowne Road DART stations.
The streets affected by the parking ban are: Lansdowne Road, between Shelbourne Road and Herbert Bridge; Shelbourne Road, between Lansdowne Road junction, Upper Canal Street and Haddington Road; Havelock Square; Lansdowne Lane; Shaws Lane; and Dodder Bank.
Gates open at 6 p.m. each evening, one hour before the concerts start. Tickets are colour-coded as follows: blue tickets enter from Lansdowne Road via Shelbourne Road only; red tickets enter from Bath Avenue via Havelock Square only; and yellow tickets enter from Bath Avenue, Newbridge Avenue, Herbert Road all via Herbert Bridge only. All approach roads will be clearly marked.
Those who need to collect tickets booked by credit card can get them at the official ticket outlet at the corner of Northumberland Road and Lansdowne Road.
Both concerts are sold out, and gardai have advised fans not to buy tickets from touts. With an eye on the skies, they are also advising those with tickets to dress "appropriately" for the weather.