Farmers have criticised a decision by Electric Picnic to hold next year's festival in mid-August, as it will coincide with peak harvesting season.
The festival, which is normally held on the first weekend of September, has been scheduled for 16-18 August in 2024, which farmers say coincides with peak harvesting season.
As the Stradbally venue and village is located in an area of intensive tillage farming, there are fears this will lead to problems with large machinery on roads, and intensive work going on in fields.
The chairman of the Irish Farmers' Association in Co Laois, John Fitzpatrick, said changing the dates out of the blue is going to cause huge problems.
"The dates announced for 2024 are right in the middle of the harvest season.
"To expect that the harvest and movement of grain can take place with 70,000 people piling into a small rural town is not realistic. It's a time when there will be lots of farm machinery on the roads, at the busiest time of the year, in one of the busiest tillage areas in the country."
The move was also criticised by the Irish Grain Growers Group, with Chairman Bobby Miller saying the first weekend in September is the best time for the event.
"This means two big events in the village in August at the same time with tractors and trailers and fans.
"There was no consultation on this and that was very disappointing."
He said the September dates, which have been consistent since the beginning of the event, "are the best option".
Its understood organisers of EP met with some local farmers to discuss the matter and, while the event goes ahead next year on the earlier dates, it will return to its normal September date from 2025.
