The largest festival of arts and culture in Ireland was back in Stradbally over the weekend, drawing in a record-breaking crowd of 75,000 festival-goers. They all flocked to the Co Laois estate for a 72-hour extravaganza of music, culture and fun. Here we look at standout moments, both good and bad, from this year’s festival.
ON THE UPSIDE
Local Talent
The demand for home-grown artists is surging. Devotees swarmed the Main Stage on Saturday afternoon for a performance by Tuam’s beloved band, The Saw Doctors. They’ve successfully engaged a new wave of listeners in recent times. It’s likely that many of the same fans also checked out performances by Kneecap, Lankum and CMAT; all highly commendable and each distinctly different from the others.
Kylie Minogue
This Australian icon mesmerised the audience on Sunday evening from the Main Stage, gushing she’s “in the midst of a perfect moment” as she took in the surroundings and thought back to her previous festival performance in Ireland in the 1990s. Her ability to still pull in a crowd in 2024 speaks volumes.
Diverse Crowd
A decade back, when Electric Picnic began to up its capacity, there were concerns it could transform into a slightly altered version of Oxegen, a festival that had recently crashed post its focus on adolescent dance-music enthusiasts. But, this wasn’t the case. While the GAA-jersey-and-bucket-hat demographic was seen around Stradbally last weekend, the festival continues to draw Electric Picnic loyalists and families, making for a relaxed ambiance.
Fun Galore
The Inflatable Church, conducting a wedding every half an hour, was a spectacle to watch. The Father Ted caravan team at Trailer Park had the crowds in stitches, stuffing 40 people into their tiny caravan, then releasing them one by one to the cheers of the audience. The four festival-goers who arrived at Electric Picnic in inflatable dinosaur costumes brought smiles, particularly when they ran into the caravan nuns dressed as convent sisters.
Calvin Harris.
The renowned Scottish music-maker, DJ and songwriter demonstrated his enduring influence in the modern dance music industry, having lead the pack for a decade and a half. Being chosen as the headline act on the main stage on Saturday night was a testament to his reputation. The experience was defined by catchy anthems that had everyone singing along, and an energising light show that kept momentum throughout the entire performance.
Mobile reception
A surprising element of the festival was the reliable mobile coverage across the site. This made finding friends far easier without needing to rely on recognisable markers or pre-coordinated meeting points.
Sunday re-energising
Sunday offered a calming and positive atmosphere, providing yoga sessions and hammocks for those needing a recuperating space after the intense Saturday festivities.
Downsides
Lack of milestone celebration
Despite being the 20th anniversary of the first Electric Picnic, there wasn’t a significant emphasis on celebrating this milestone. Instead, there seemed to be a conscious decision to distance the event from its origins, potentially leading to debate about the evolution of the festival.
Repetitive performances
The line-up featured a number of artists that had made recent appearances at other events. Acts like Mary Wallopers, who performed on Saturday, as well NewDad, who showcased a similar set on Friday, and Lankum, whose Saturday performance followed their June festival headline act, gave attendees a strong sense of familiarity. Although it’s a challenging task to organise festivals, Electric Picnic 2024 served up a noticeable portion of repetition.
Excess crowds
Large numbers of festival-goers have their advantages and disadvantages. Although they can create an immersive experience, they can occasionally lead to problems. Several attendees noted the main arena was particularly crammed during Calvin Harris’s headline slot on Saturday night, resulting in restricted movement for many. The excessive crowds became an issue on several occasions.
Bumping into throngs of people is an expected part of Ireland’s largest open-air festival. Some enthusiasts, who got there on Friday morning – a time when there are usually ample spots in the campsites – found it difficult to secure a place to set up their tents. They voiced their frustration about being guided to secondary campsites located a significant distance away. Once the main performances commenced on the grand stages, the Stradbally estate experienced its own bumper-to-bumper traffic, with the number of people commuting from one location to another creating quite a delay between shows.
Among the various items hurled onto the stage, cups and bottles are not entirely new. This occurrence, alas, is on an upward trend thanks to its promotion by English football fans. The tendency now leans towards launching plastic cup projectiles, often still half-filled, upward. It may be wise to discourage this behaviour at the onset, especially considering each festival pint priced at around €7. The average cost per launch is worth pondering over.