| Music Festival Name: | Electric Picnic |
| Location: | Stradbally Hall, Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland |
| Years Active: | 2004 – present |
| Founders: | Robbie Butler and John Reynolds[1] |
| Dates: | Late August/early September |
| Genre: | Indie, alternative, dance |
Electric Picnic is an annual arts-and-music festival which has been staged since 2004 at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland.
It is organised by Pod Concerts and Festival Republic, who purchased the majority shareholding in 2009. It was voted Best Medium-Sized European Festival at the 2010 European Festival Awards, and has been voted Best Big Festival at each of the last four Irish Festival Awards since they began in 2007. The Electric Picnic won eight awards in Hot Press's 2011 Festival Awards, including 'Best Large Festival'.[2] In 2023, it was awarded 'Festival of the Year' in the Ticketmaster Awards.[3]
The Picnic has been described as "Ireland's version of Glastonbury" and "a great inspiration to Latitude" by one of its business partners, Laois. US magazine Billboard called it "a magnificent rock n roll circus, a textbook example of everything a festival should be"[4] and Rolling Stone described it as "one of the best festivals we've ever been to". The 2008 event was described by The Irish Times as "the best Electric Picnic yet".
There is also an emphasis on eco-friendly initiatives.[5]
Electric Picnic began as a one-day event in 2004, before growing to a weekend-long festival within a year. The festival incorporates attractions such as the 24-hour cinema tent, the Body and Soul arena (offering an ambient lounge with beanbags, massages and tarot card readings) and the Comedy Tent[6] (curated by Gerry Mallon) and a silent disco. In 2008, Amnesty International attended the festival to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whilst renowned American Burning Man artist, David Best constructed a Temple of Truth on site.[7] Electric Picnic has been described as an "enormously successful, award-winning, established brand" which "attempts to bring to life a microcosmic cultural experience where music is just the tip of the iceberg".[8]
| Edition | Year | Dates | Headliners | Attendance or sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 4 September | 2 Many DJs | 10,000 | |
| 2005 | 3–4 September | Kraftwerk · Fatboy Slim · The Flaming Lips ·Röyksopp · Arcade Fire · Damien Dempsey · Laurent Garnier · Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds · Mercury Rev · 2 Many DJs · Audio Bullys | ||
| 2006 | 1–3 September | Massive Attack · Antony & the Johnsons · Groove Armada · New Order · Basement Jaxx · Yeah Yeah Yeahs | 30,000 | |
| 2007 | 31 August – 2 September | LCD Soundsystem · Bjork · Chemical Bros · Beastie Boys · Primal Scream · Iggy & The Stooges | 32,500 | |
| 2008 | 29–31 August | Sigur Rós · Digitalism · George Clinton · Underworld · Sex Pistols · My Bloody Valentine | 35,000 | |
| 2009 | 4–6 September | Brian Wilson · The Flaming Lips · Basement Jaxx · MGMT · Orbital · Madness · Fleet Foxes · Bell X1 · Rodrigo y Gabriela · Chic | ||
| 2010 | 3–5 September | Roxy Music · Leftfield · Massive Attack | ||
| 2011 | 2–4 September | Interpol · PJ Harvey · Jimmy Cliff · Arcade Fire · The Chemical Brothers · Pulp · Underworld · Beirut | ||
| 2012 | 31 August – 2 September | Sigur Rós · The XX · Christy Moore · The Cure · Orbital · The Killers · Elbow · Hot Chip | ||
| 2013 | 30 August – 1 September | Fatboy Slim · Bjork · Arctic Monkeys · Robert Plant | 32,000 | |
| 2014 | 29–31 August | Portishead · Outkast · Beck | 41,000 | |
| 2015 | 4–6 September | Florence and the Machine · Blur · Sam Smith · Underworld · Grace Jones | 51,000 | |
| 2016 | 2–4 September | LCD Soundsystem · Lana Del Rey · The Chemical Brothers · New Order · Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds | 55,000 | |
| 2017 | 1–3 September | The XX · A Tribe Called Quest · Duran Duran | 55,000 | |
| 2018 | 31 August – 2 September | Kendrick Lamar · Massive Attack · The Prodigy · N.E.R.D. · Picture This | 55,000 | |
| 2019 | 30 August – 1 September | The Strokes · Florence and the Machine · Hozier · The 1975 | 57,500[9] | |
| Cancelled | 2020 | 4–6 September | Rage Against The Machine · Snow Patrol · The Chemical Brothers · Picture This · Lewis Capaldi | |
| 2022 | 2–4 September | Dermot Kennedy · Megan Thee Stallion · Tame Impala · Picture This · Arctic Monkeys · Snow Patrol | 70,000 | |
| 2023 | 1–3 September | Billie Eilish · Niall Horan · Fred Again · Paolo Nutini (replacing Lewis Capaldi) · The Killers · The Script | 70,000 | |
| 2024 | 16–18 August | 75,000 | ||
The 2004 festival was a one-day event,[10] which was headlined by 2 Many DJs. Other acts included Groove Armada, Arrested Development, Jurassic5, Grand Master Flash, Super Furry Animals, Plump DJ's, David Kitt, Soulwax and Mylo.[11] Despite the fact that there was no organised camping, a number of groups camped in the field designated as the car park overnight and stayed up talking and exploring the (then pristine and nettle-free) woods. Thus, the relaxed and friendly vibe of the earlier Electric Picnic festivals was established.
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success. Headlining acts included Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Kraftwerk, The Flaming Lips, Röyksopp, Mercury Rev and The Human League.
The premiere of "Electric Picnic: The Documentary" took place at the Irish Film Institute on Tuesday 4 July 2006 at 19:00. The critically acclaimed documentary directed by Nick Ryan, was filmed by a small camera crew who recorded the events of Electric Picnic 2005. Narrated by musician Nick Seymour and economist David McWilliams, the documentary includes footage from Kraftwerk's first recorded live performance in twelve years plus interviews with the performing bands and comedians, with a few festival-goers and with the locals of Stradbally Village, who claimed: "We get more trouble at the Vintage Steam Rally".[12]
In 2006 the festival gained momentum, with all 30,000 tickets (each costing €175 including camping) selling out more than seven weeks in advance. Presale tickets went on sale on Monday 28 November 2005.[13] The event took place on the weekend of 1–3 September 2006, with the line-up being revealed on Friday 24 March. Artists who performed across the seven stages included Sparks, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Basement Jaxx, Rufus Wainwright, Bloc Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gary Numan, François Kevorkian, Groove Armada, Damien Rice and The Frames. The Blue Nile's appearance was their only live performance of the year.[14] The festival's biggest casualty was Gnarls Barkley who had to cancel their appearance after rapper/singer Cee-Lo strained his vocal cords.[15] David McWilliams made an appearance as a celebrity.[16] RTÉ Two televised the festival, with a special RTÉ Two Green Room being set up at Stradbally Hall Estate for presenters Tom Dunne and Jenny Huston.[17]
Journalist and television presenter Joe O'Shea was arrested for driving in an intoxicated state on his way home from the event.[18]
The Comedy Tent in 2006 featured PJ Gallagher, Des Bishop, Neil Delamere, and Eric Lalor.
Electric Picnic 2007 was once again a three-day event and ran from 31 August until 2 September. The festival maintained its current size of 32,500 festival goers and kept all the same elements plus some new additions. "Early-bird" tickets for the 2007 festival went on sale between Monday 11 December 2006, and Saturday 24 February 2007, costing €199, taking into account the VAT that must now be paid on all outdoor events. Full price tickets went on sale on Tuesday 3 April at a price of €220.[22] The first acts were officially announced on Monday 2 April.
Besides the music other attractions included an inflatable church offering mock weddings, luxury tents, massage chambers, a fairground and silent disco. Acii Disco DJs began the festival on the Friday at 12 p.m. in the Bodytonic Tent. Amongst others to take to the stage on Friday were Björk, Hot Chip, Scott Matthews, Manic Street Preachers and Oppenheimer whilst the unnamed band responsible for The Good, the Bad & the Queen headlined the Electric Arena tent.[23] The Sunday night was brought to a close by Primal Scream.
The festival was marred by the death of a 23-year-old fan.[24] The incident occurred as The Chemical Brothers came to a climax at 2 a.m. early on the Sunday morning. Organiser John Reynolds extended his sympathies and said: "A young man took ill at the festival, was treated at the medical centre, removed to Portlaoise Hospital and was later pronounced dead." Gardaí said they were not treating the death as suspicious.[25] [26]
See main article: Electric Picnic 2008. Electric Picnic 2008 took place at Stradbally from 29 to 31 August, attended by 35,000 people. Presale tickets went on sale on 9 November 2007 and full price tickets went on sale on Friday 28 March at 9 p.m., costing €240 including camping, with the various sites opening at 9 a.m. on Friday 29 August. Tickets had sold out by 17 June.[31]
Sigur Rós, George Clinton and Sex Pistols[32] headlined. Other musicians appearing included Franz Ferdinand, My Bloody Valentine, German rockers Faust,[33] Tindersticks, The Breeders,[34] Grinderman, Goldfrapp, Gossip, CSS, Duffy, Foals, Hadouken!, Wilco, The Roots, Turin Brakes, Carbon/Silicon,[35] Conor Oberst and New Young Pony Club. Irish acts to appear included Kíla, The Stunning, Sinéad O'Connor, Christy Moore, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Boss Volenti, The Waterboys, The Flaws, Ham Sandwich, Fred, Super Extra Bonus Party, Jape, Lisa Hannigan, Le Galaxie, Cathy Davey, Gemma Hayes and Mark Geary. Also attending were Amnesty International, which celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a singalong of "Happy Birthday" on the Sunday night.[36] [37]
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See main article: Electric Picnic 2009. Electric Picnic 2009 took place at Stradbally from 4–6 September. The British promoter Festival Republic bought out the share of Aiken Promotions as well as a further majority shareholding in Electric Picnic in March 2009.[38] [39] The festival was launched on 15 April 2009, with tickets going on sale two days later.[38] [40] The launch saw the announcement of forty-seven acts.[41] Orbital, The Flaming Lips, Imelda May, Brian Wilson, Basement Jaxx, Madness, Klaxons, Bell X1, Fleet Foxes and MGMT were some of the musical acts which appeared, whilst Tommy Tiernan headlined in the comedy tent.
See main article: Electric Picnic 2010. Early bird tickets for Electric Picnic 2010 went on sale on 4 December 2009.[42] The festival was launched on 24 March 2010, with Leftfield, Roxy Music, Public Image Ltd., LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, Modest Mouse, Mumford & Sons, Jón Þór Birgisson, Paul Brady, Imelda May and The Frames among the first acts to be confirmed.[43] [44]
Artists who played in 2011 included Arcade Fire, Pulp, The Chemical Brothers, Interpol, PJ Harvey, Beirut, Blonde Redhead, Zola Jesus, The Drums, Santigold, The Family Stone, Joan As Policewoman, Best Coast, 3epkano, Power of Dreams, Yuck, Foster The People, Alexandra Stan, The Undertones, Public Enemy, Jimmy Cliff, DJ Shadow, Flying Lotus, The Charlatans, Mogwai, Sinéad O'Connor, White Lies, OMD, Toots & the Maytals, Lykke Li, Midlake, The Rubberbandits, Death in Vegas, The Go! Team, Big Audio Dynamite, Boys Noize, Paul Kalkbrenner, Dave Clarke, Twin Shadow, Willy Mason, Trentemøller, Killing Joke, Health, Mundy, Gavin Friday, The Walkmen, Adam Beyer, Sharon Shannon, Ivan St. John, The Cast of Cheers, Micah P. Hinson, Caitlin Rose, The Potbelleez, Adebisi Shank, The Danger Is, Codes, And So I Watch You From Afar, and O Emperor.
The festival triumphed at the Irish Festival Awards, winning seven gongs, including Best Large Festival, Best Line up and Best Toilets.[45]
Artists who performed at the 2012 festival included The Cure, The Killers, Elbow, Sigur Rós, Christy Moore, Orbital, Hot Chip, The xx, Wild Beasts, Of Monsters and Men, Patti Smith, The Roots, Crystal Castles, Grandaddy, SBTRKT, Mmoths, Metronomy, Bat for Lashes, The Maccabees, The Horrors, Richard Hawley, Azealia Banks, Ed Sheeran, The Jezabels, Michael Kiwanuka, Gavin Friday, Ryan Sheridan, Róisín O, Van Dyke Parks, Roots Manuva, Bell X1, Dublin Gospel Choir, Glen Hansard, Grizzly Bear, Willis Earl Beal, Alabama Shakes, Tindersticks, Fatoumata Diawara, Land Lovers, Eagle and the Worm, Solar Bears, Staff Benda Bilili, Little Roy, Lanterns on the Lake, Jonathan Wilson, Baxter Dury, Cranes, Milagres, In Tua Nua, Codes, Conor Linnie, Ocho and more to be announced.
The announcement of the 2013 festival was delayed significantly owing to a legal dispute regarding ownership of the festival between the festival's founder POD Concerts and its majority shareholder Festival Republic Dublin (FRD).[46]
Despite fears that Electric Picnic would not return in 2013, Electric Picnic was subsequently scheduled to take place between 30 August and 1 September.[47]
The initial line-up for the festival was announced on 25 April 2013 to much fanfare. The line-up included Björk, Fatboy Slim, Robert Plant, My Bloody Valentine, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Wu-Tang Clan, David Byrne & St Vincent, Eels, Noah & The Whale, Johnny Marr, Disclosure, Ocean Colour Scene, Hurts, Mick Flannery, The Walkmen, Baauer, Tiga, Warpaint, Savages, The Strypes, Poliça, Chvrches, Parquet Courts, Clinic, Deap Vally and Soak.[48]
See main article: Electric Picnic 2014. Electric Picnic 2014 took place at Stradbally from 29 to 31 August, attended by 41,000 people. Early bird tickets went on sale on 19 March 2014. A Full weekend ticket cost €154.50 for purchasers who could prove they had been to three or more picnics, €174.50 for those who could prove they had been to the picnic once or twice previously. Tickets then increased to €194.50 until 4 July and, €229.50 after that date. Sunday tickets were priced at €90. Sunday tickets had sold out by 13 June.[49] Full weekend tickets sold out on 31 July[50]
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Electric Picnic 2015 took place at Stradbally from 4 to 6 September. The first acts were announced in March 2015.[51] There was speculation that the capacity would be raised from the present 42,000 to 47,000 to cater for increased demand.[52] The headliners were Sam Smith, Blur, and Florence and the Machine.[51]
Electric Picnic 2016 took place from 2 to 4 September. It was headlined by LCD Soundsystem, Lana Del Rey, The Chemical Brothers, New Order and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.[53]
Line ups
Main Stage
Friday: Ryan Sheridan, ABC, Nas, The 1975, The Chemical Brothers
Saturday: Trinity Orchestra, Hermitage Green, The Lightning Seeds, Gavin James, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Bell X1, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, LCD Soundsystem
Sunday: Dublin Gospel Choir, Toots and the Maytals, Local Natives, James Bay, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, New Order, Lana Del Rey
Electric Picnic 2017 took place on 1–3 September. It was headlined by Duran Duran, A Tribe Called Quest and The xx.[54]
Line ups
Main Stage
Friday: Little Hours, Hudson Taylor, The Divine Comedy, London Grammar, The xx
Saturday: Keywest, The Strypes, Giggs, Madness, Run the Jewels, Phoenix, A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Tong
Sunday: Dublin Gospel Choir, The Skatalites, Rag'n'Bone Man, The Pretenders, Chaka Khan, Elbow, Duran Duran
Electric Picnic 2018 took place at Stradbally from 31 August to 2 September.[55] [56] Tickets for the festival sold-out in less than 24 hours after the lineup was announced in March 2018.[57]
Electric Picnic 2019 took place at Stradbally from 30 August to 1 September.[58] [59]
The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[60]
The 2021 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[61]
Electric Picnic 2022 took place at Stradbally from 2 to 4 September after a gap of two years. Dermot Kennedy, Tame Impala and the Arctic Monkeys headlined the festival.[62] [63] Almost 70,000 people attended the event.[64]
The HSE issued a drug warning to festivalgoers after "high strength" MDMA with two times the average dose was found. An anonymous drug testing facility was set up at the festival for the first time.[65]
Electric Picnic 2023 took place at Stradbally from 1 to 3 September. Billie Eilish, Fred Again and The Killers headline the festival.[66]
Electric Picnic 2024 took place two weeks earlier than the traditional dates, from 16 to 18 August. The planned dates were not well received by local farmers, who cited issues with the festival taking place in the middle of harvest season. Festival director Melvin Benn stated the change was a once-off for 2024 to facilitate a particular artist.[67]
The lineup was met with widespread negative criticism on social media, primarily due to the headlining acts being perceived as less popular and relevant compared to those featured in previous years.
A controversy arose over greenwashing at the event - David Walsh-Kemmis, owner of Ballykilcavan Brewery, which is situated 2.5km from the festival, complained that "It's extremely disheartening to see Electric Picnic, a festival that prides itself on supporting local culture and sustainability, completely stonewall us. Supplying this festival would make a significant positive impact on our small business, securing local jobs, creating temporary positions, and boosting the local economy." Instead of using local Irish breweries, the festival signed an exclusive deal with Heineken, brewed in Cork. Melvin Benn was quoted in media as saying that he had tasted Ballykilcavan's beers, and didn't like them, so wouldn't sell them.[68] [69]