The Daily Star Ireland
The countdown is nearly over for Ireland’s biggest music and arts festival, as Electric Picnic returns to Stradbally, Co. Laois, for its 22nd edition. On Thursday, the first festivalgoers with early-access tickets will begin pitching their tents across the 600-acre site, eager to claim the best camping spots before the main crowds descend.
Festival director Melvin Benn explained that early arrivals are part of the excitement. “It’s only three days until this opens but a large number of people are coming on early entry on Thursday because they want to get the best places to camp, and they want to be ready and raring to go,” he said.
By the weekend, more than 80,000 people are expected to call Stradbally home for three days of music, art, and celebration.
A lineup mixing icons and rising stars
Since its launch in 2004, Electric Picnic has cemented itself as the largest festival of its kind in Ireland, showcasing global acts alongside homegrown talent. Benn highlighted the pride he feels in seeing Irish musicians like Hozier grow into major headliners. Hozier, who takes the main stage on Friday night, has been described by Benn as “sounding so good and his band so tight,” after catching his performances at Reading and Leeds this summer.
Another act generating buzz is Belfast rap trio Kneecap, who will perform on Saturday. Their return marks a progression from headlining the Hazelwood stage in 2018 to commanding a much larger audience. Benn described their inclusion as “a strong statement” but stressed that ultimately “it is their performances as artists that matters most.”
Beyond Hozier and Kneecap, the lineup spans genres, with big names such as Kings of Leon, Fatboy Slim, and rising star Chappell Roan taking to the main stage. Across the site, the Croí area will again serve as a cultural hub, offering everything from traditional céilís to meditation sessions across six stages. A new addition this year is the Electric Keys piano stage, its name chosen by festivalgoers in partnership with the Electoral Commission, which will also be on-site to encourage voter registration.
New festival spaces and special performances
Organisers continue to expand Electric Picnic with new features. This year’s major addition is Freetown, an immersive zone designed with a post-apocalyptic theme. Complete with a derailed train carriage and a graffitied bus, it promises DJs, high energy, and what organisers describe as “mayhem and excitement.”
A particularly emotional moment awaits on Sunday, when brothers Noel and Mike Hogan of The Cranberries will perform with the RTÉ Orchestra. It will be their first time playing together on stage since 2017. Speaking to RTÉ, Noel Hogan said the decision came after encouragement from their families. “Our kids pointed out that they had never seen us perform as adults… so here we are with the orchestra and it should be something special,” he said. As a preview, Hogan treated crews to an acoustic rendition of “Zombie,” joined by Niall O’Sullivan on trumpet.
Weather and fan anticipation
As always with an Irish festival, the weather will be unpredictable. Forecasters warn of showers and heavy bursts of rain, particularly Friday night and Saturday, though sunny spells are also expected. Alan O’Reilly of Carlow Weather advised festivalgoers to prepare for “both sunscreen and raincoats.”
For regular attendees, the prospect of mixed weather does little to dampen enthusiasm. Podcaster Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, attending her 10th Electric Picnic, summed up the excitement: “There’s loads of really great acts, Irish acts that I really want to go see. Having the likes of Chappell Roan on stage in Ireland—where would you get it only in County Laois?”
With a blend of global stars, Irish talent, new performance spaces, and surprise moments, this year’s Electric Picnic looks set to deliver another memorable chapter in its history.
