Electric Picnic returns to its home of Stradbally, Co Laois, from Friday, 29 Aug - Sunday, 31 Aug 2025.
With 80,000 festival-goers expected to attend, the music and arts festival welcomed journalists to see the grounds ahead of time to check out all that this year's event will have to offer.
As well as an incredible line-up of music and comedy across the big stages, EP will play host to a whole host of alternative areas, offering up a wholesome wellness haven in Croí, classical Opera in the Mindfield, and 15-minute makeovers in the Hair and Beauty Box.
Craic, ceol agus croí
Aptly describing it as "the heart of the festival", Production Director Sarah King says that Croí will return to Electric Picnic for its third year with soundbaths, hot tubs, workshops, and a brand new stage.
Electric Keys, which was named by loyal festival-goers through a vote in conjunction with the Electroal Commission, will be open to a variety of selected musicians throughout the weekend, as well as some rumoured surprise guests.
By day, this harmonious hub of wellness will be a stress-free environment of dance, music, poetry, shamanic drumming, guided meditation, and workshops. By night, the good vibrations will be taken up a notch with fire pit gatherings and late-night DJ sets.
Sustainability
"Am I excited for it? Heavens, yes," says Festival Organiser Mevlin Benn of the festival, now in its 21st year.
As well as "lots of amazing homegrown stuff", including Hozier, Kneecap, and Amble, there will be international acts like Chappell Roan, Fatboy Slim, and Sam Fender taking to the main stage.
This, alongside a jam-packed comedy tent, creative installations, workshops, food trucks, hot tubs, and hidden raves, the annual extravaganza has now sold out a record-breaking 80,000 tickets.
"It's an amazing amount of tickets sold for a country as small as Ireland," says Melvin. "It's impressive, actually."
"I'm not making it any bigger next year; it will be the same size next year," he added. "People will be unhappy about that, I suspect, the demand for tickets is ever-increasing, but I want to stay the same again for next year."
With so many people living in one place for the weekend, he says that sustainability has been an important factor in planning the event.
Last year, Benn announced the new Electric Picnic substation, a grid that ensures that the main stage of the festival will be powered by renewable energy.
According to the festival director, all of the other generators on site are powered by 100% bio-diesel, and festival goers will likely note a number of additional measures being taken to make the event more eco-friendly.
"I urge people, as I continue to do, year after year, to re-use their tents and take them home," he adds. "If they don't, we have salvagers coming in, in the hopes that they can re-use them."
"I have doubled the size of the eco-campsite - in fact, more than doubled - and that's sold out, so I think there is a continued belief that it is the only way," he adds. "We do only have one planet and we have to look after it."
You can see the full list of sustainable guidelines here, but highlights include water refill stations for reusable bottles, compostable containers from food traders, the banning of single-use vapes, and suggested eco-friendly glitters.
Festival makeovers
Speaking of glitter, drag queen Davina Devine was on hand to introduce the press to the Boots Hair and Beauty Box - a haven of eyeshadow and curling tongs for those who need a re-fresh during the festival.
This year, there will be a brand-new self-service activation in the main arena as well as Moonlight Meadows, with complementary glam to Advantage Card holders.
There are a number of 15-minute makeover looks to choose from, while the 20-30 minute hair styles to choose from include bouncy curls, a bodied bob, and a sleek blow dry.
Speaking with Devine, the make-up artists shared some top tips to festival-goers when it comes to packing beauty essentials.
- Use creamy products that can be applied with fingers
- Opt for multi-purpose make-up (e.g. a lipstick that works as a blush or a shimmer that works as a highlighter)
- Waterproof mascara to see you through any weather
- Use Sellotape to remove glitter
- Swap lipsticks and liners for a simple gloss - easier to apply while on the move!
All aboard...
Under the guidance of Artistic Directors Hugo and Roz Jellett, the Freetown areas of Electric Picnic are expanding.
As well as creating festival staples like Salty Dog, Spike Island, Providencia, and the top-secret BerlinHaus (the only hint we got this year is that it is in "a wooded area"), the couple have delivered Metro and Northside Rises.
While the Metro train will play host to circus acts, strummers, dancers, and performers looking for a better life, Northside Rises will be a hub for ramshackle mechanics working to build customised scrap vehicles that will bring them on new adventures.
Inevitably, as night falls, both areas will turn into "old skool dirty raves".
