Fans pray sun won't be shy as Witnness countdown begins

THE 40,000 music fans who will descend on Fairyground Racecourse for this weekend's Witnness festival will be praying the sun makes a guest appearance.

Last year’s event at the Meath venue was a washout, although the mudbaths and flooded fields failed to spoil the fans’ party.

The preparations for the festival are near completion, with more than 80 top acts set to delight fans throughout tomorrow and Sunday regardless of the weather.

The 72 people involved in constructing the main stage for the festival were coming to the end of their 10 days’ work yesterday.

Topping the bill on the main stage tomorrow night are dance outfit The Prodigy, followed on Sunday by the return of the Gallagher brothers, aka Oasis.

The third Witnness festival also features some of the hottest international music names tomorrow, including the Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Green Day and Air.

Anybody who survives all that can look forward to an equally impressive line up on Sunday, with the likes of Primal Scream, Gomez, Badly Drawn Boy, Morcheeba and the Dandy Warhols among the top groups on show on the five stages.

The organisers have lined up a vast array of Irish talent to match the international stars, among them The Frames, Mundy, Gemma Hayes, David Kitt and Damien Rice.

For those with the stamina to last the two days, camping facilities are also on offer to allow punters get some rest in between performances and enjoying the fare of main sponsors Guinness.

The usual Garda presence will be notable around the venue over the weekend.

Gardaí will also be enforcing strict traffic restrictions from tonight until the early hours of Monday.