Electric Picnic boss Melvin Benn has said he is “overwhelmed” about the line-up at this year’s festival.
Snow Patrol, Dermot Kennedy, Arctic Monkeys and Picture This are among the line-up at this year’s extravaganza, which will take place in Stradbally in Co Laois from September 2 until September 4.
And after a two-year hiatus, as many as 70,000 revellers are expected to descend on Stradbally once again to see artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Tame Impala, London Grammar, Glass Animals, Fontaines DC and Anne-Marie over the three day festival.
But Festival Director Melvin admitted he is “overwhelmed” by the line up and the festival returning after it was cancelled for two years.
He said: “Overwhelmed actually. I think it’s been a long wait really and obviously during a two year sort of hiatus you lose acts, you gain acts, we are not immune from that but Dermot Kennedy, Tame Impala, and of course the Arctic Monkeys, it’s pretty much a dream come through for us really and if you start to add people like Snow Patrol I think you are getting an incredible array and full description of what the Electric Picnic is really.”
Melvin said the wait to return back to Stradbally has been “enormous”.
“Oh gosh it’s actually almost 10 – 12 days short of two years since the lockdown started in 2020 would you believe?
“And the wait to be back in Stradbally has been enormous, it’s been enormous for me and my team.
“It’s been enormous for the artists, and of course for the fans, most of whom had kept their tickets and those who are still expectant and hoping to buy tickets, the wait has been too long and you know, we live in an incredibly troubled world but we have to remind ourselves that life has to go on, we have to have our diversions - we have to support people that are in need and need our support but we have to have our diversions and our amazing cultural lives that we have and Electric Picnic is at the top of that and so being at Stradbally in September is something that I just can’t wait for to be honest, it’s very special.”
Announcing the line-up, organisers said in a statement on Thursday: “It’s been minutes, it’s been days, since we last visited the rolling fields of Stradbally Hall, they have lain fallow, breathing, regenerating and waiting for the return.
“Good things Eventually come to those who wait, so get on your Dancing Shoes as we reveal the Savage line-up for this year’s festival. The time has come for You and I to reunite, re-embrace and rediscover the magic of Electric Picnic - we have missed you”.
Among the changes this year at Electric Picnic, included a larger main stage area which has been increased in size.
By cleverly reconfiguring the position of the stage in the newly created larger arena, this area will increase in size by 60% giving picnickers unrivalled views of the stage.
And of course, easy access to see your favourite headliner is key, so the Jimi Hendrix arena entrance has doubled in size.
Re-locating to a new home on the Picnic site and now nestled adjacent to Mind & Body, MindField will also be sporting a vibrant new look.
The Leviathan stage will amplify grassroots political activism and critical thinking with entertaining and informative debates and workshops on issues vital to this young generation.
There will be a new Human Lab stage, which will bring science and technology back to the heart of MindField with a bang and a fizz; while Manifesto will present some of the very best talent writing for print and screen.
The hugely popular Ah, Hear! Podcast stage returns with new stars and old favourites and a greatly increased capacity ; and The Hip Hop, Beats and Rhymes stage will present the best of slam poetry, grime, hip hop and performance with some of the acts that have made the Irish scene one of the world’s most exciting.
An Puball Gaeilge will also air the best of intelligent Irish language entertainment.
Fish Town, Electric Picnic's carnival town also returns but will be moving into the woods in Stradbally this year. It includes The Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow Circus Tent, pop-up sideshow stages, a cafe, and a bar, building on the community of mayhem-loving misfits that frequent Fish Town.
Alongside a new harbour enclosure for Salty Dog , a bumper-sized Trailer Park and even-harder-to-get-into Berlinhaus , the night-time arena of Freetown is preparing for a population explosion this year.
Other features at the festival include an industrial dance-cathedral Terminus, which includes swamp-hut Spike Island, fiesta-centric latin quarter Providencia, a surveillance-heavy Lower 7th, Our Lady of the Consumption, which is a field hospital for the ‘festivally insane.’
Hazel Wood is back and growing and organisers will launch Art Trail in the next few weeks, which will see budding and established artists showcase their work at the festival.
Remaining tickets go on sale Friday at 9am.
