The line-up for this year's MindField arena at Electric Picnic has been announced with a thrilling programme of spoken word, debate, talks, podcasts, music and more.
With the music and arts festival finally returning to Stradbally this year, we're only delighted to see a stunning line-up that will truly showcase the Irish people's gift for the gab.
Fans of podcasts will be delighted to know that the Ah, Hear NOW! stage will bring some of Ireland's most popular podcasts together in one place.
The line-up includes (deep breath): The David McWilliams Podcast; The Blindboy Podcast; Where is My Mind? with Bressie; Three Castles Burning with Donal Fallon; The Group Chat with Gavan Reilly, Zara King and Richard Chambers of Virgin Media News; I’m Grand, Mam with Kevin and PJ; The Substantial Meal Podcast with Justine Stafford, Martin Angolo and Dermot Ward; Chancers with Paddy Smyth and Anna Clifford, and many more.
There’s also cracking evening entertainment with Mockie Ah's Tea Dance hosted by Candy Warhol and special guests and the Camembert Quartet do songs from TV and the Movies.
Speaking on their first performance in the Mindfield arena, comedian Justine Stafford told RTÉ LifeStyle:
"The Substantial Meal podcast is three friends recreating the atmosphere of being in a pub by sharing embarrassing stories, giving life advice and solving the world's big problems."
"People often come to the Mindfield arena to expand their minds and learn something new," she continues, "so we're delighted to not offer any of that!"
For those wanting to immerse themselves in the Irish language, An Puball Gaeilge will be running till 11pm each night with the usual talks, theatre, podcasts and music all as Gaeilge. The traditional music festival organisers of Nasc will fill the Friday night slot with the likes of the Bonnymen and Sisterix.
Midday Ted Talks will include intercounty hurler and rewilder Diarmuid Ling, along with language activist Eoghan Mac Cormaic, and spiritualist Jenny Ní Ruiséil talking about their discoveries along their journeys.
These talks will be followed by Uair an Ghlóir Úir, where newbies will get a chance to perform their songs and then by podcasts like the much loved Beo Ar Éigin with Radio hosts Áine Ní Bhreasláin, Siún Ní Dhuinn and Sinéad Ní Uallacháin who recently appeared on The Tommy Tiernan Show.
Presenter Siún Ní Dhuinn says that the show will be one to remember for friends old and new:
"Beo ar Éigean are excited to be returning to their spiritual home, Mindfield at EP. We have missed sharing stories in 'real life' and we are looking forward to meeting old friends and making new friends in Stradbally. We are planning an interactive chat in the Puball Gaeilge with a very special guest."
"Tá Beo ar Éigean ar bís go bhfuil an Picnic Leictreach ar ais ar an bhfód agus go mbeidh deis acu a bheith i láthair ag Mindfield. Níor chas muid lenár gcuid éisteoirí agus cairde le fada an lá agus tá pleananna á ndéanamh againn go mbeidh comhrá den chéad scoth le haoi speisialta ann ar an lá linn."
High Rock Productions will present their hilarious theatre pieces and Na Gaelgáirí will be back with their stand-up comedians. Saturday evening's music will be presented by Féile Na Gealaí's Edel Ní Churraoin while Sunday night's program will be presented by Rossa Ó Snodaigh.
The Leviathan tent will host speed debating with Salon du Chat; national treasure Miriam O'Callaghan hosting her annual Sunday Brunch with guests casting an eye on the newspapers; and Waterford Whispers News presenter Bill Badbody presents his bitterly satirical landlords’ TED talk.
Dublin InQuirer presents: Generation Rack Rent hosted by award-winning writer and editor Lois Kapila; and the Transgender Equality Network Ireland present: Lost in Translation: Disinformation and Trans Rights in Ireland hosted by Claire Beck.
Speaking to RTÉ LifeStyle about her hosting duties, Claire Beck said:
"I'm looking forward to hosting this panel talk at EP! As trans people are currently experiencing a lack of equality and an anti-trans narrative in recent media, this is a very important conversation to have. I believe it's important to amplify voices of trans people and include them in the conversation when speaking about trans issues."
The Department of Foreign Affairs’ EU50 programme presents Blindboy’s European Parliament; the Amnesty Hour covers the rights of sex workers; Paddy Cullivan presents the Murder of Michael Collins, and History Ireland Hedge School educates us on unmanageable revolutionaries: women and the decade of centenaries.
Leviathan hosted by David McWilliams looks at Ireland’s Next Government. There’s also the return of The World's Worst Book Launch: Chicago Blues by the thriller writer Saul Tillock aka Paul Tylak hosted by Gunther Grun aka comedian Barry Murphy.
Rounding out the evening entertainment is Professor Luke O’Neill’s Metabollix all-star band.
The Manifesto stage is this year curated by award-winning author and editor Sinéad Gleeson.
One of the biggest rising stars of recent years, Denise Chaila will be in conversation with her collaborator Godknows, who in turn will be interviewing Irish rapper JYellowL.
On Sunday, Derry Girls’ Siobhán Sweeney will be chatting to comedian David O’Doherty; writer Emilie Pine joins behavioural and data scientist Dr. Pragya Agarwal to discuss hysteria; artist Aideen Barry and writer and academic Emma Dabiri join forces to ask, "What if we’re the last generation of artists and thinkers?" inspired by Barry’s landmark 2021 show Oblivion.
Musicians Sorcha Richardson and Orla Gartland will play some music and reveal their approach to writing songs, while Aoife Martin and William Keohane will discuss activism around Trans issues.
Elsewhere in the Mindfield arena, there will be a mix of performances and conversation from musicians like Joy Crookes, comedian and writer Martin Warde and singer Sharyn Ward, not to mention a whole host of contemporary Irish poets, as well as a chat with Kathryn Ferguson and Mick Mahon, two of the film-makers involved in Nothing Compares - a new documentary about Sinéad O’Connor.
There will also be nightly sessions from 7pm until late where African artists will be joined onstage by well-known Irish artists and musicians to produce a fusion of African and Irish music, beats and tunes.
While the brand new Human Lab area will engage audiences in cutting edge scientific topics, the Word stage brings beats, rhymes, poetry, hip-hop, grime and more, orchestrated and hosted by the great Marty Mulligan from Mullingar.
