Electoral Commission paid firm €184k to host young voter pilot initiative at Electric Picnic
Kenneth Fox
The Electoral Commission in 2025 paid the Irish arm of live music giants, Live Nation, €184,500 to host a pilot initiative at Electric Picnic 2025 aimed at increasing voter registration amongst younger people.
The €184,500 (incl VAT) payment to Live Nation Ireland Holdings Ltd is disclosed in the 2025 annual report for An Coimisiún Toghcháin - The Electoral Commission published on Monday.
An Coimisiún identified the Electric Picnic partnership as a pilot initiative in the run-up to the Presidential election to reach younger people at one of Ireland’s largest in-person events.
Electric Picnic - where headliners included Hozier and Chappell Roan - was the beginning of An Coimisiún’s extensive outreach programme around the country, which also included the National Ploughing Championships and Colleges’ Freshers Weeks.
A spokeswoman for An Coimisiún Toghcháin said today that the payout formed part of a wider public information campaign through which An Coimisiún engaged with tens of thousands of people across the country.
The Electric Picnic initiative and wider campaign were launched against the background of the Commission’s own research showing that almost 70 per cent of people who are not registered to vote are under the age of 34.
The collaboration with Live Nation’s Electric Picnic included a dedicated marquee in the MindField area, which welcomed thousands of visitors over the three-day festival.
The spokeswoman said that An Coimisiún staff assisted attendees with voter registration, demonstrated the voting process through mock ballots, and answered questions about elections and voting.
The campaign also featured 46 advertisements on the festival’s main stage between performances, participation in podcasts and panel discussions, and a significant digital and media presence.
The spokeswoman said that during the campaign, 91,157 people applied to join the electoral register or update their registration details ahead of the October Presidential Election.
On Instagram alone, An Coimisiún recorded a 500 per cent increase in followers and more than 1.3 million views during the campaign.
The spokeswoman said: “Taken together with the broader national communications campaign, we are satisfied that this investment represented good value for money in raising awareness, encouraging voter registration and reaching audiences that are traditionally under-represented on the electoral register.
The payout to the Live Nation firm was part of An Coimisiún’s spend on 'Research, Education and Public Engagement’, rising by 55 per cent from €3.03 million to €4.69 million in 2025.
Speaking at the launch of the partnership last year, Festival Director at Electric Picnic, Melvin Benn, said that “Democracy is about involvement, it’s about being heard, and it’s about community, all things which resonate deeply with Electric Picnic and so we are proud to kick off this partnership with An Coimisiún Toghcháin.”
In his statement accompanying the 2025 annual report, ceo of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Art O’Leary, refers to the EP partnership.
He said that through innovations “such as the partnership with Electric Picnic, attendance at the Ploughing Championships, and the use of content creators, we sought to reach communities that have traditionally been underrepresented in democratic processes.
He said: “Our work has reinforced a simple but powerful message: every vote matters, and every voice deserves to be heard.”
