Electric Picnic

Sold out before a single band is confirmed: people go to Stradbally for the Picnic, not the line-up.

• Irish-language camp
• Sauna in the ravine
• Lifeguarded swimming lake

Electric Picnic is a festival for a mostly Irish crowd, and you can hear it. In front of the big stages, tens of thousands in Irish sports club jerseys sing along to Kneecap, the Wolfe Tones or the Saw Doctors. During Lankum’s set in 2024 the whole crowd went quiet and held a note for the band. What carries the weekend is often the Irish bands, not the big names at the top of the bill.

What makes it different lies in the woods behind: a pirate ship as a stage, themed sets with staff who never break character, and trad sessions that tip over into a rave until 4 am. Many people spend whole days there without setting foot in the main arena.

At a glance

Beyond the concerts — A world of its own · 3 of 3

Comedy, debates, a cookery stage, art worlds: whole days without a band. As of 2026

Discovering music — A mix · 2 of 3

Rating by FIPS: big names, plus discoveries beyond them. As of 2026

Ticket budget — High · 4 of 5

Rating by FIPS based on the regular 2026 weekend pass. 2026 · 3 festival days · camping included As of 2026

Nights at the campsite — Depends on the zone · 2 of 3

General campsites loud, campervan and Eco fields quieter. As of 2026

Ground after rain — sinks · 3 of 3

Cars stuck in 2026, campsite paths deep in mud. As of 2026

Check first

• Plan your camp early: in 2026 the fields were almost full by Thursday afternoon, and music runs until morning in the general campsites. Quieter options are the Poets and Eco zones, which you book in advance, and the campervan fields.
• Agree on fixed meeting points, as there’s hardly any phone signal. And expect crowding: in 2025 and 2026 it got dangerously tight at small stages, and in 2026 a DJ set there was cut short.
• Pack hiking boots and a trolley with chunky rubber wheels: when it rains, campsite paths and car parks sink into mud.

Right for you

• For crews who want to sing along to hits by day and disappear into the woods at night, and who aren’t put off by crowds and mud. If you’re after the old, smaller Picnic, these days you’re more likely to find it in corners of the woods than in front of the main stage.

What is FIPS?

Electric Picnic: 395 acts, 28 Aug 2026 – 30 Aug 2026, Stradbally.

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