Festival director overjoyed by return of Electric Picnic

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

The director of Electric Picnic, the largest music festival in Ireland, has said he is overjoyed to see the event return.

The festival has attracted around 70,000 fans to the 600-acre site in Stradbally, Co Laois, this weekend.

The event is returning after a two-year absence caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking about its return, Melvin Benn, of Festival Republic, the promoters behind Electric Picnic, said: “It’s a joy.

“It’s a moment I thought, I hoped, we would get to in 2021. We didn’t. I’m delighted that we are here now.”

Mr Benn said visitors are seeing some changes to the festival this year.

He said: “It is a huge amount of work and we have brought a lot of changes in. I am delighted to see how they are going to go.

“I have moved the main stage. There is an awful lot I am very proud of, the way that the team has brought it all together.

“There are so many creatives involved in the Electric Picnic, so many people whose soul is lessened by not being able to create at the Electric Picnic.

“For me that is the great thing, the opportunity to give a huge amount of people the opportunity to express themselves.”

Dermot Kennedy, Tame Impala and Arctic Monkeys are headlining the festival in Co Laois.

Major Irish acts, including Snow Patrol and Denise Chaila, will also play the festival this weekend.