Festival director overjoyed by return of Electric Picnic

The festival will attract around 70,000 fans to the 600-acre site in Co Laois, this weekend.

Electric Picnic festival director Melvin Benn in front of the main stage during a press preview of the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, County Laois (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

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

The festival will attract 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.

Danny O’Reilly of Irish band The Coronas during a press preview of the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

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 would see some changes to the festival this year.

Members of Ballet Ireland perform during an Electric Picnic preview (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

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.”

VIP tents at the Electric Picnic festival site at Stradbally in Co Laois (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

Dermot Kennedy, Tame Impala and Arctic Monkeys will headline the festival in Co Laois.

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