Van Morrison – The Waterfront Hall

Most people would probably consider seeing Van Morrison four times in a year sufficient.

Emma and I are evidently not most people.

When word got out that Van would be celebrating his 80th birthday with a special concert at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall, there was never really any question about whether we would go. We’d already made several trips to see my favourite artist over the previous twelve months, but this wasn’t just another concert.

This was Van Morrison’s 80th birthday.

You only get one of those.

So once again we found ourselves heading across the Irish Sea to Belfast, the city that has shaped so much of Van’s music and mythology. There seemed something fitting about celebrating the occasion there, surrounded by fans who understood just how important he has been to music over the last six decades.

Before the main event, support came from his daughter, Shana Morrison.

I’ve seen Shana perform before and she did an excellent job of setting the tone for the evening. There was a real family atmosphere surrounding the event, and having her open the show added another layer of significance to what already felt like a very special occasion.

Then Van took to the stage.

At eighty years old, many artists would be content to coast on reputation and nostalgia. Van Morrison, however, remains gloriously unpredictable. The set moved through blues, jazz, soul and rock and roll with the confidence of someone who has spent a lifetime mastering every style he touches.

The audience knew they were witnessing something unique.

Adding to the sense of occasion were appearances from Chris Farlowe and Ronnie Wood, both of whom joined Van during the evening. Seeing musicians of that calibre sharing the stage with him felt entirely appropriate given the significance of the event.

And yet one of the most memorable stories from the night happened behind the scenes.

After the show, I had the opportunity to interview Kevin Fitzgerald Burke, another guest performer who appeared during the concert. What I expected to be a quick two-minute chat turned into a fascinating twenty-minute conversation about the experience.

The following day Kevin shared his memories of the evening on Instagram, and they reveal just how special the event was even for the musicians involved.

Kevin had travelled to Belfast simply to celebrate Van’s birthday, only to be invited to soundcheck. After running through material with Van, Ronnie Wood and the rest of the band, he was unexpectedly asked if he wanted to perform.

Naturally, he said yes.

The original plan was for him to sing Centerpiece, but later that day Van changed his mind and invited him to perform Broken Record instead, giving Kevin barely enough time to learn the song before the concert.

The performance went beautifully.

Perhaps the most touching moment came when Kevin realised nobody had actually acknowledged the obvious fact that it was Van Morrison’s 80th birthday. Before launching into the song he encouraged the audience to celebrate the occasion, prompting a prolonged standing ovation that reportedly lasted several minutes.

A magical moment by all accounts.

As if that wasn’t enough, Kevin thought his work was done for the night, only to find himself summoned back to the stage later by Van himself to join Ronnie Wood and the band during Stormy Monday before helping close the evening with Gloria.

Imagine singing Gloria with Van Morrison in Belfast on his 80th birthday.

Not a bad story to tell the grandchildren.

For those of us in the audience, the concert felt every bit as special. The atmosphere throughout the Waterfront Hall was warm, celebratory and appreciative. Everyone seemed aware they were witnessing a milestone event in the career of one of the most important musicians ever to emerge from these islands.

And Van delivered accordingly.

Looking back, the evening wasn’t simply a concert. It was a celebration of an extraordinary life in music, featuring family, friends, fellow musicians and thousands of fans coming together to honour a man whose songs have soundtracked generations.

The videos below include Shana Morrison’s support set, Van’s full performance and my interview with Kevin Fitzgerald Burke, whose account offers a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of a truly unforgettable night.

Happy 80th Birthday, Van.

Here’s hoping there are many more gigs still to come.

Here is Van’s full set, which include guest spots by Chris Farlowe and Ronnie Wood.

I met one another guest, Kevin Fitzgerald Burke after the show and asked him for an interview for which I am happy to say he agreed and I thought it would only be for a couple of minutes but it lasted for twenty.

“I was honored to be a part of Van Morrison’s 80th Birthday Concert at Waterfront Hall in Belfast on Sunday, August 31, 2025. I haven’t posted music affairs on here in years, but this was a special night (so here goes). I came to Belfast only to fete Van for his 80th, be he asked me to come to 3 pm soundcheck (no other info). So after they run through the set with Ronnie Wood, et al, Van asks me “Kev, you want to do something?” – “I’d love to, Van” says I. So his lovely daughter, Shana, suggests “Centerpiece” (which he recorded with Georgie Fame). We run through it and he’s happy. Then we all go to an early dinner in Belfast (Ron Wood, btw, is hilarious and completely loves Van – he was excited to be there – a true mensch!). Van splits early back to the venue to go rest before the show while the rest of us continue eatin’ n’ rappin’. But Van’s assistant returns and tells me “Van would like you to come to his room by 6:30 to run over something”. Cool…I show up and Van says “We’re gonna do this one instead” and plays me “Broken Record” (12 bar blues w/ a bridge – he recorded this w/ Kurt Elling on his recent Duets album), which I’d heard once or twice before. So I take the next 80 minutes to learn the tune, digest the lyrics, etc. We knock it out mid-set (after Chris Farlowe’s feature) and it goes smashingly! (Btw, before the song begins I say “How about Happy 80th Birthday to Van, Yes?” to the crowd – because no one had yet mentioned it – and they go nuts, giving Van a 5-minute standing ovation – super touching and magical). I believe I’m done for the night and I stand in the wings to enjoy the rest of the show as Van brings on Ronnie Wood. After a few numbers (Who Do You Love, Mona) Van says to Ronnie “Let’s do some blues” and calls for “Stormy Monday”. As they’re launching into it Van calls out on the mic, “Where’s Kevin. Come on up and scat with us!” The stage manager grabs my arm and says “GO!” We then blow it out and proceed to the finale, “Gloria” – crowd passionately joining in. Needless to say, it’s quite surreal singing “Gloria” with Van in Belfast on his 80th Birthday. I love me some Van (!) – Happy Birthday Maestro ! God Loves Me… kfb”