Red faces as EU concert cut

THE international concert in Dublin on May 1 that was to be the centrepiece of the Irish EU Presidency was last night cancelled, amid much embarrassment for RTÉ and the Government.

The Cabinet yesterday decided to cancel the €1.5 million 'A Beautiful Night' concert on O'Connell Street after it became clear its city centre location would pose huge problems for co-producers RTÉ and the BBC.

Organising the concert would have entailed severe traffic restrictions on Dublin's main thoroughfare for nine days before the event.

It also encountered opposition from local traders and the issues of compensation and indemnity also arose.

The scale of the problems only became apparent in the past week and prompted yesterday's sudden announcement, according to a spokeswoman for RTÉ.

Blame was partly levelled at the BBC for its insistence that the concert must take place at O'Connell Street and its refusal to contemplate alternative locations.

The planning application for the concert was submitted in January.

RTÉ insisted the problems were not foreseen. But with only a little over four weeks to go, it is now too late to find a replacement venue. Besides, the BBC would no longer be willing to participate.

The BBC would not comment on the decision last night.

The much-hyped concert was to be the highlight of a weekend of celebrations welcoming the 10 new states joining the EU.

A number of international stars had been lined up, including Bob Geldof, Alanis Morrissette, Katie Melua, Divine Comedy and Dolores O'Riordan.

It was to simultaneously broadcast with another concert outside City Hall in Belfast.

The Belfast event is still going ahead.

Asked if the celebrations would now turn out to be a damp squib, a Government spokeswoman pointed to the other events, but added: "From a Dublin perspective, some of the glamour is taken a little out of it."