IT'S here.The day thousands of Elton John fans have been waiting for has arrived and tonight they will converge on the home of Ipswich Town Football Club to see the musical legend live in concert.

IT'S here.

The day thousands of Elton John fans have been waiting for has arrived and tonight they will converge on the home of Ipswich Town Football Club to see the musical legend live in concert.

Sir Elton will be flying into the region by helicopter and landing at a secret location before being driven to Portman Road where he will take to the stage for what promises to be a memorable performance tonight.

He is expected to give a performance of many of his greatest hits which have kept him at the top of his game since his debut in the 1970s.

It will be the first concert to be held at the stadium since the early 1990s when Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Status Quo, Dire Straits and Bryan Adams all attracted thousands of music fans to town.

Months of preparations have gone into getting ready for tonight's event and over the past few days the ground, a home for football matches, has been transformed into a first class concert venue.

The pitch has been treated and covered to protect it from damage, more than 10,000 seats have been put out, 100 tonnes of steel have been bolted together to create the stage and rigging and speakers and screens have been put in place. Meanwhile, a backstage area fit for someone of Elton's calibre, complete with drapes, flowers and all the refreshments he needs, has been created in the Galleria.

All Portman Road needs now are Elton John and his team, including support act James Blunt, and the 23,000 or more fans who are coming to see him.

Anticipation is building and by the time the gates open at 6pm today it will be at a peak as fans pour into the ground, take their seats and get ready for tonight's show.

Derek Bowden, Chief Executive of Ipswich Town Football Club, said: "As we speak we've got about 23,000 people coming but we expect that to go up by tonight.

"It's going to be great."

And if the concert goes as well as expected there is the promise of similar concerts to come next year.

n Sir Elton John will be at Portman Road Stadium, in Ipswich, today. Gates open at 6pm. Support act James Blunt is due on stage at about 7.15pm for a 45 minute set. The concert is due to finish between 10.30pm and 11pm.

Tickets for the concert are available from Ipswich Town Football Club ticket office.

n For a review of the concert and a souvenir pull out of pictures, read tomorrow's Evening Star.

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