Electric Picnic is here again, and Stradbally is once more the setting for Ireland's biggest music weekend. With hundreds of acts across every genre, deciding who to see can feel like a festival in itself.
To make things easier, we have picked out some of the performances that promise to be unmissable, from homegrown heroes making triumphant returns to international stars ready to light up the Main Stage.
The Academic
Friday, 7:30pm - 8:30pm, Electric Arena
Getting Friday night well and truly started, Killucan's finest are Electric Picnic veterans, having made their debut as ah-bless young fellas all the way back in 2014. They've picnicked three times since and always deliver, so if you're Electric Arena-bound to see The Saw Doctors (9pm-10pm), get there early to watch Craig Fitzgerald and co - come on, Anything Can Happen is one of the standout Irish songs of the decade!
Looking to the future, The Academic are gearing up for the follow-up to their 2023 album Sitting Pretty, date TBC, so perhaps a new song or two will be premiered this weekend. And if you still want more, well, they have just announced a 3Olympia headliner in October. Harry Guerin
Chappell Roan
Friday, 8:00pm - 9:30pm, Main Stage
Chappell Roan's EP slot is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about performances of the weekend.
The freshly crowned Grammy winner (Best New Artist) is set to get the party well and truly started on Friday evening. Festival-goers can expect a dazzling performance, packed with vibrant visuals and a string of crowd-pleasing anthems from her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.
Cue Pink Pony Club, Hot to Go! and her first #1 hit in Ireland – Good Luck, Babe!
Rumour has it fans will also be treated to sneak peeks of material from her upcoming second album.
Music to our ears! Laura Delaney
Self Esteem
Friday, 8:15pm - 9:15pm, 3Music Stage
English music star Self Esteem, real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor, blew away the audience at her headline gig in Dublin's Olympia Theatre in 2023, and now she's back, hot on the heels of her superb third album A Complicated Woman, to play Electric Picnic’s 3Music Stage on Friday night.
The singer-songwriter has an idiosyncratic, genre-bending and pleasingly maximalist approach to pop music, paired with deeply personal lyrics that resonate with her audience.
Famed for her expertly choreographed, high-energy and delightfully theatrical performances, she’s sure to light up the stage with her hour-long slot. Sarah McIntyre
Hozier
Friday, 10:30pm - midnight, Main Stage
Ireland's global superstar is back on home turf to open Electric Picnic in unforgettable style.
Fresh from his massive Unreal Unearth world tour, Hozier makes a triumphant return to Stradbally with a career-spanning set that's sure to blend fan favourites like Take Me to Church and Nina Cried Power with newer tracks that have cemented his reputation as one of the great songwriters of his generation.
Expect soulful vocals, soaring anthems and a rapturous crowd sing-along as he kicks off the weekend with sheer class. Suzanne Keane
Kneecap
Saturday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm, Main Stage
West Belfast rap trio Kneecap have become one of the most talked-about acts in Irish music, and their Electric Picnic Main Stage debut is set to be a landmark moment.
Mixing Irish and English lyrics with biting political commentary, sharp humour and irresistible beats, they have built a reputation for incendiary live shows that are as thought-provoking as they are riotously fun.
Their afternoon slot promises to be one of the weekend's most powerful performances, a blend of cultural pride, chaos and pure festival energy. SK
For Those I Love
Saturday. 7:30pm – 8:30pm, 3Music Stage
Tragedy inspired David Balfe to adopt the moniker For Those I Love.
When his friend and musical collaborator Paul Curran took his own life in 2018, Balfe's grief fueled him to record an album of spoken words and beats under that title, dedicated to Curran.
For Those I Love was meant for friends and family but struck an emotional chord with anyone who heard it and resulted in a commercial release and international recognition.
The cathartic collection won the 2021 Choice Music Prize and now Balfe's released a second album, Carving the Stone. It's a raw portrait of modern life in his native Dublin.
His EP set is highly anticipated. John Byrne
Nile Rodgers + Chic
Saturday, 7:45pm – 8:45pm, Main Stage
One day soon I'm going to open the back door of our house and Nile Rodgers + Chic will be playing in the garden.
In recent years, the surviving original member of the quintessential disco band has been a staple of the summer outdoor circuit and they’ve played in Ireland many times.
But familiarity in this particular case breeds contentment. Chic guarantee entertainment and a great night out.
If you want a good time, it’s impossible to look beyond a group with Good Times on their set list and a band leader who’s been making mega hits since the 1970s. JB
Sam Fender
Saturday, 9:30pm - 11:00pm, Main Stage
Few artists can command a festival stage quite like Sam Fender. The Geordie rocker has become one of the UK's biggest live acts thanks to his heartfelt lyrics, Springsteen-like energy and stadium-sized choruses.
His return to Electric Picnic is a Saturday night highlight, and with tracks like Seventeen Going Under and Hypersonic Missiles in the mix, expect a spine-tingling set that balances raw emotion with euphoric release.
It is the kind of show that will turn a field in Laois into the biggest sing-song in Ireland. SK
Fatboy Slim
Saturday, 11:30pm – 1:00am, Main Stage
It's 20 years since Fatboy Slim – aka Norman Cook of various bands including The Housemartins – made his Electric Picnic debut.
He may be in his early 60s but Cook remains an absolute monster of a DJ and knows how to get a crowd going and give them a cracking night.
Fatboy Slim’s been on the go since he adopted the moniker in 1995, which means he brings more than a quarter-century of crowd-pleasing vinyl with him.
Cook holds the Guinness world record for the most UK number-one singles by a musician as a member of different acts – if anyone can keep the upbeat mood after Saturday headliner Sam Fender, Fatboy Slim can.
Awwww... freak out! JB
Noel and Mike Hogan (The Cranberries) with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Sunday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm, Main Stage
For The Cranberries, this EP marks a milestone. Brothers Noel and Mike Hogan will take to the stage on Sunday afternoon with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in a first.
The Cranberries' final performance together took place in the London Palladium in May 2017, just months before Dolores O’Riordan’s untimely death in January 2018.
Noel and Mike are set to perform the band’s most popular songs alongside the RTÉ Concert Orchestra – and a "very special guest".
"We last played together on stage at the London Palladium in 2017, and since then we have had lots of invitations to play together, but we were reluctant to do so," Noel Hogan told RTÉ.
"Then our family said, 'Why not?', and our kids pointed out that they had never seen us perform as adults and they said, 'Why not?', so here we are with the orchestra. And it should be something special, we hope," Mr Hogan said.
Expect a poignant, powerful, and unforgettable performance. LD
David Gray
5:15pm - 6:15pm, Sunday, Main Stage
Get ready for a deeply emotional and nostalgic performance during Gray's "legend’s slot" on Sunday evening. Known for his storytelling, raw vocals, and heartfelt lyrics, Gray will likely mix iconic hits like Babylon, This Year’s Love, and Please Forgive Me with newer material from his recent album Dear Life.
His shows often feature moments of quiet reflection alongside big sing-along energy - perfect for belting out under the Electric Picnic sky.
Stradbally won’t know what hit it.
Orla Gartland
Sunday, 5:30pm - 6:15pm, 3Music Stage
Fresh from her Ivor Novello songwriting award - winning Best Song Musically and Lyrically for her track Mine - in May and a beguiling Glastonbury set in June, singer-songwriter Orla Gartland is relishing closing out the summer with her biggest Picnic moment to date.
In Stradbally, she'll be rounding off the touring for her 2024's Everybody Needs a Hero, on home ground, amongst old friends. The Dubliner contends that Irish audiences are "the best", and with plans to go into the studio again after Electric Picnic, this could be your last chance to see her for a while. Don't be late to the party! HG
Jazzy
Sunday, 7:30pm - 8:30pm, Electric Arena
After a dazzling set at last year's Electric Picnic, Irish dance music sensation Jazzy is back to work the EP crowds into a frenzy when she plays the Electric Arena on Sunday.
The Crumlin native has been flying high since she released her debut solo single Giving Me in March 2023, picking up a Brit and Ivor Novello nominations and two Choice Music Prize gongs and winning over legions of fans with her irrepressibly catchy tracks.
The wildly talented singer and DJ is known for her effortlessly commanding stage presence, impeccable vocals and euphoric sets. Not one to miss! SMcI
