Molly Ayala
Electric Picnic is an annual arts and music festival held in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland. The festival, which has been running since 2004, has grown from a one-day event to a weekend-long festival, attracting big-name acts such as Arcade Fire, Tame Impala, and Billie Eilish. With a capacity of 70,000 people, Electric Picnic is one of Ireland's largest festivals and has been described as a great inspiration to Latitude and a magnificent rock n roll circus.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year Started | 2004 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location | Stradbally Hall, Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland |
| Organisers | Pod Concerts and Festival Republic |
| Age Limit | Strictly over 18s (except children aged 12 and under, who must be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult) |
| Capacity | 32,000 in 2013; expanded to 70,000 in 2020 |
| Awards | Best Medium-Sized European Festival at the 2010 European Festival Awards; Best Big Festival at the last four Irish Festival Awards; eight awards in Hot Press's 2011 Festival Awards, including Best Large Festival; Festival of the Year in the 2023 Ticketmaster Awards |
| Notable Acts | Arcade Fire, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Kraftwerk, The Flaming Lips, Röyksopp, Mercury Rev, The Human League, Dermot Kennedy, Tame Impala, Arctic Monkeys, Billie Eilish, Fred Again, The Killers, Chappell Roan, Kings of Leon, Sam Fender, Fatboy Slim, Hozier |
| Other Attractions | 24-hour cinema tent, Body and Soul arena, Comedy Tent, silent disco |
| Initiatives | Eco-friendly initiatives; AIR Hubs for assistance, information, and response |
| Controversies | Greenwashing (signing an exclusive deal with Heineken instead of using local Irish breweries) |
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What You'll Learn
The capacity of Electric Picnic 2022 was almost 70,000
The Electric Picnic is an annual arts-and-music festival held at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland. The festival, organised by Pod Concerts and Festival Republic, has been running since 2004. It has won numerous awards, including 'Best Medium-Sized European Festival' at the 2010 European Festival Awards and 'Best Big Festival' at the Irish Festival Awards in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The 2022 edition of the festival took place from 2 to 4 September, with headline performances from Dermot Kennedy, Tame Impala and the Arctic Monkeys. The capacity for this event was almost 70,000 people, a significant increase from the 32,000 attendees of the 2013 festival.
Festival promoter Melvin Benn attributed the increased capacity to "unsatiated demand" from the public, as the Electric Picnic had sold out in recent years soon after tickets went on sale. He also stated that the expansion would allow for the creation of more areas within the festival, such as a larger family activity area, and that the necessary approvals for the increased size had been obtained from the Laois County Council and An Garda Síochána.
The 2022 Electric Picnic was notable not just for its large capacity but also for the drug warning issued by the HSE to festivalgoers regarding the presence of high-strength MDMA. An anonymous drug-testing facility was set up for the first time at the festival in response to this issue.
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The capacity was doubled to meet demand
Electric Picnic is an annual arts-and-music festival held at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland. The festival has been running since 2004 and has grown from a one-day event to a weekend-long festival. Electric Picnic has been described as "Ireland's version of Glastonbury" and has won several awards, including "Best Large Festival" at the Hot Press's 2011 Festival Awards.
The capacity of the Electric Picnic festival has more than doubled since its inception. In 2013, the festival had a capacity of 32,000 attendees, and in 2022, almost 70,000 people attended the event. The increase in capacity is in response to high demand from the public, as the festival has sold out shortly after tickets went on sale in recent years. Festival promoter Melvin Benn stated that expanding the capacity to 70,000 would help meet the demand for people who want to attend the festival.
To accommodate the larger crowds, the size of the main arena at the Electric Picnic was increased, and the traffic plan was approved by An Garda Síochána to manage the extra traffic. Mr Benn also anticipated that the impact of the extra traffic would be mitigated by the 10,000 fans expected to arrive on Thursday night.
In addition to increasing the capacity, there have been changes to the arena to accommodate the expansion. The Mindfield section was moved further away, and the popular Body and Soul section was replaced by a new Mind and Body section. A new section called FishTown, featuring singer Jerry Fish and his Electric Sideshow, was also introduced. These changes aim to create more areas for festival-goers to enjoy and ensure a positive experience for all attendees.
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The 2020 expansion plans were approved by Laois County Council
Electric Picnic is an annual arts-and-music festival held at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland. The festival began in 2004 as a one-day event and has since grown into a weekend-long festival. It has been described as "Ireland's version of Glastonbury" and has won several awards, including "Best Large Festival" at the Hot Press Festival Awards in 2011 and "Festival of the Year" at the Ticketmaster Awards in 2023.
The 2020 expansion plans for Electric Picnic were approved by the Laois County Council. The plans included increasing the capacity of the festival to 70,000 people, more than doubling the number of attendees since 2013 when 32,000 people attended. The decision to expand the capacity was made in response to "unsatiated demand" from the public, as the festival had sold out in recent years shortly after tickets went on sale. Festival promoter Melvin Benn stated that the expansion would allow them to accommodate larger crowds and create more areas for attendees to enjoy.
The expansion also involved changes to the arena, with the Mindfield section moving to make way for a larger main arena. A new section called FishTown was introduced, featuring singer Jerry Fish and his Electric Sideshow. The popular Body and Soul section was replaced by a new Mind and Body section. The festival's traffic plan was approved by An Garda Síochána, who anticipated that the extra traffic would be absorbed by the 10,000 fans expected to arrive on Thursday night.
The 2020 Electric Picnic took place from September 4 to 6 and continued to offer attractions such as a 24-hour cinema tent, a silent disco, and the Comedy Tent. The festival has continued to grow and evolve, with almost 70,000 people attending in 2022 and a lineup featuring headlining acts such as Dermot Kennedy, Tame Impala, and the Arctic Monkeys.
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The festival has been described as Ireland's Glastonbury
Electric Picnic is an annual arts-and-music festival held in Stradbally Hall, County Laois, Ireland. The festival has been staged since 2004 and has won numerous awards, including 'Best Medium-Sized European Festival' at the 2010 European Festival Awards and ''Best Big Festival' at the Irish Festival Awards in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The festival has been described as "Ireland's version of Glastonbury" by one of its business partners, Laois. In terms of capacity, Electric Picnic has expanded over the years, from 32,000 attendees in 2013 to a planned capacity of 70,000 in 2020. Festival promoter Melvin Benn stated that the increase in capacity was in response to "unsatiated demand" from the public, as the festival had sold out shortly after tickets went on sale in previous years. Benn also noted that the expansion would not make the festival too big, comparing it to Glastonbury, which is twice the size.
Electric Picnic has featured a diverse range of attractions and performances over the years, contributing to its success and reputation. The festival incorporates unique features such as a 24-hour cinema tent, the Body and Soul arena offering massages and tarot card readings, a silent disco, and a Comedy Tent. In addition to these attractions, Electric Picnic has hosted renowned musical acts, including Arcade Fire, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Kraftwerk, Tame Impala, and Billie Eilish.
The festival has also been associated with various initiatives and controversies. In 2008, Amnesty International attended the festival to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, there have been criticisms regarding greenwashing, with local businesses expressing disappointment over the festival's exclusive deals with larger companies instead of supporting local Irish breweries.
With its impressive lineup of musical acts, diverse attractions, and growing capacity, Electric Picnic has earned its reputation as "Ireland's Glastonbury," offering a cultural experience that goes beyond music and resonates with festival-goers across Ireland and beyond.
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Electric Picnic has won multiple awards
Electric Picnic is an annual arts-and-music festival held at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland. It has a capacity of 32,500 festival-goers, although the 2022 event saw almost 70,000 people in attendance.
The festival has won multiple awards since its inception in 2004. 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. Electric Picnic won eight awards in Hot Press's 2011 Festival Awards, including 'Best Large Festival'. In 2023, it was awarded 'Festival of the Year' in the Ticketmaster Awards.
The success of the festival has been commented on by various publications. In 2006, US magazine Billboard called it "a magnificent rock n roll circus, a textbook example of everything a festival should be". Rolling Stone described it as "one of the best festivals we've ever been to". The Irish Times described the 2008 event as "the best Electric Picnic yet". The festival has also 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".
The festival incorporates attractions such as a 24-hour cinema tent, the Body and Soul arena (offering massages and tarot card readings), the Comedy Tent, and a silent disco. In 2008, Amnesty International attended the festival to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and renowned American Burning Man artist David Best constructed a Temple of Truth on-site.
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Frequently asked questions
The capacity of Electric Picnic has been expanded to 70,000.
Electric Picnic is strictly for over 18s, with the exception of children aged 12 and under, who must be accompanied by a ticket-holding parent or guardian.
Electric Picnic is an annual festival that usually takes place in September.
Electric Picnic is held at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland.
