KINGSHOLM Road will be a party-time pedestrian zone once again when Munster roll into town for the Heineken Cup next season.
Gloucester CEO Stephen Vaughan hailed the Cherry and Whites' pool six Heineken Cup draw as equally exciting for the supporters as the club.
Nigel Davies' men were drawn in the same group as Munster, Perpignan and Edinburgh on Wednesday.
Gloucester old boys Luke Narraway and Alasdair Strokosch are relishing a first opportunity to return to Kingsholm with Catalan Top 14 side Perpignan.
But Cherry and Whites bosses and fans alike are just as excited about the prospect of hosting Munster at Kingsholm for the first time since 2008.
The 'Miracle Match' of 2003 still makes every list of the most momentous Heineken Cup clashes of all time.
Gloucester needed any kind of victory to progress to the quarter-finals.
Munster required four tries and a 27-point victory.
The hosts grabbed both in their 33-6 win, stunning the Cherry and Whites, who had seen off Munster earlier that season at Kingsholm.
The Munstermen clashed with Gloucester twice more in 2004, before heading to Kingsholm for a Heineken Cup quarter-final in April 2008.
The visitors edged home 16-3 that day – but aside from the defeat those present will never forget the Kingsholm atmosphere.
To a man those who played in that game cite it as one of their greatest-ever Gloucester memories.
Hours before kick-off the Irish fans flooded the Kingsholm streets, closed to traffic, with both sets of supporters building to an expectant frenzy.
By the time the sold-out Kingsholm filled up, the noise hit new levels.
Gloucester chief Vaughan said the Cherry and Whites will do all they can to prepare for a similarly-charged Kingsholm showdown.
He explained: "It was always going to be a tough draw, so from a playing perspective it was always going to be difficult and there isn't a bad team in there.
"Munster have great history in the competition, they are always incredibly strong in Europe. They're clearly formidable, and Perpignan, it will be great to welcome Luke Narraway and Alasdair Strokosch back to Kingsholm.
"All of the French teams are incredibly strong, so you know you will always face a huge challenge over there.
"The draw is fantastic from our point of view at the club.
"And with Munster coming, hopefully we'll be able to close off the streets.
"We'll have to work hard to ensure we have enough provisions in, shall we say, to cater for their fantastic supporters.
"So I really hope people get the bug for that game, because the two sets of supporters and clubs are quite similar.
"A lot of people have already said to me how Munster are almost an Irish Gloucester and Gloucester an English Munster.
"There's a good kinship there, and the old rivalries are well-documented."
Meanwhile, the Cherry and Whites have confirmed their pre-season clash with Munster will still go ahead as planned, despite the two clubs being drawn together in European action.
Gloucester will travel to Ireland for their season warm-up match on Saturday, August 24.
Vaughan added: "That game will definitely go ahead as planned.
"We'll have a little flirt and sound each other out a little bit in pre-season.
"And I think it's important that game still goes ahead, it's vital we have a rigorous and testing pre-season fixture schedule so we can hit the ground running in the Premiership next term.
"Overall the Heineken draw is something we're pleased with and excited about.
"It's a good blend of powerful teams, sides we can be confident to compete against and exciting destinations for our supporters."
