The Electric Picnic festival, established 20 years ago, has blossomed from a single-day event attracting around 10,000 people to the giant of Ireland’s summer festival scene, with a staggering 75,000 in attendance at the Stradbally, Co Laois location just this weekend. Normally taking place at the beginning of September, signalling the end of summers just like the All-Ireland hurling final used to, this year’s event was shifted to mid-August to accommodate a performer’s schedule. Without singling out any artist, says festival promoter Melvin Benn, it is widely believed that the performer in question is none other than iconic pop diva Kylie Minogue, who will be headlining Sunday’s segment. It is unlikely that fellow headline acts, Friday’s Noah Kahan or DJ sensation Calvin Harris for Saturday, would necessitate such a change.
The venue remains sturdy despite Thursday evening’s light rain, with an otherwise favourable forecast for the rest of the weekend. In a significant step towards sustainability, Benn has revealed that the main stage will operate on renewable energy, while biodiesel is the choice of fuel for the generators on other stages – marking a first for a festival of this scale.
Despite these green initiatives, local craft brewery Ballykilcavan has cast doubt on the festival’s sustainability claims. Located just beyond Stradbally village, they and other craft breweries and distilleries have been overlooked on the festival grounds in favour of Heineken’s exclusive endorsement. In his defence, Benn retorts, “Has it ever crossed anyone’s mind that I might not just like the beer? I’ve tried it and it’s just not for me. So why would I invite them when I don’t even like their product?”
Barry Murphy, bassist and singer for the Limerick-based multi-instrumentalist group Hermitage Green, made the selection of beer for their performance. He expressed confidence that the audience would enjoy their choice. Hermitage Green were proud to announce their headline act for the Electric Picnic festival, where they’re scheduled to perform at the Rankin’s Wood stage on Sunday night. Even though their performance coincides with that of Kylie Minogue, members of the band seemed undeterred.
“We need to embrace the butterflies inside us a little,” admitted Barry. “We push ourselves hard because we always aim to leave a strong impression on the audience. That’s the kind of energy we try to emit for the crowd, and every single time Electric Picnic reciprocates,” he added.
Ex-president Mary McAleese is another unexpected performer scheduled for Electric Picnic. She’ll be part of a chat session with broadcaster Mary Kennedy at the Ah, Hear! Podcast Stage on Sunday afternoon. The two are part of the Changing Times – the Allenwood Conversations podcast.
McAleese humorously shared how her children felt embarrassed by her presence at the festival, thinking of her as a massive pretender. On the other hand, her grandchildren thought her attendance was rather impressive. “I’m in the last quarter of my life. Might as well live it to the fullest now than any other moment,” she added.