More than a fortnight following the conclusion of the Electric Picnic festival, the site that accommodated guests endures severe littering, with sheep spotted this week amidst the garbage. This music event attracted approximately 75,000 fans from August 15th to 18th, with a considerable portion of them residing in tents at Stradbally Hall Estate, Stradbally, Co Laois in Ireland.
While tents have been collected and efforts made to reduce litter and tidy car parks, several areas still suffer from grave conditions. This week, a field was observed littered with plastic and paper, along with destroyed and fallen tents, bedding, roll-out mats and assorted bags spread all over.
Some fields of the Electric Picnic campsite still suffer from considerable litter two weeks post-event. Ongoing discussions focus on the excessive cost of food and how local microbreweries are resisting market monopolies. Instructions for acquiring tickets for Electric Picnic 2025 will be released this week.
Countless sheep were seen grazing amidst the rubbish in the latterly mentioned field.
A representative for Electric Picnic states that a “third-party luxury tent provider suffered greatly from Storm Lilian [in late August] which resulted in an insurance-related delay in clearing their campsites.” She further explained that sheep had run loose into the field, which is the last area scheduled for cleanup by end of business on Wednesday.
The environmental impact of Electric Picnic has been a talking point in recent years. According to Friends of the Earth calculations in 2018, each music fan left behind approximately ten kilograms of rubbish – akin to a fully-packed cabin-sized suitcase.
The Electric Picnic festival website features a section dedicated to sustainability, which states, “We admit the consequences of the festival on the environment, pledge truth regarding the climate and ecological crisis’ magnitude, and promise immediate action.” The website continues, “Outlined in our Green Nation Sustainability Charter, we accept our obligation to safeguard the live music experience for future generations and hope to spark climate action at Electric Picnic.”
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