News

Electric Picnic 2010

• 25th Mar 2010

Since it's invention in 2004, Irish boutique arts'n'music festival Electric Picnic has gone from strength to strength, becoming the sole rival of the hugely popular Oxegen.

Though it remains the smaller of the two festivals, EP has certainly stood it's ground with it's signature staple of big dance artists but relying on the smaller, lesser-known folk, pop, indie, techno and ambient artists to garner support for the weekend in Stradbally.

The line-up often polarises people and manys a week in early Spring are spent by festival-lovers deciphering which festival has the better line-up to get tickets to.

The first year, in 2004, had acts such as Godlfrapp, Royksopp and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. It especially gave a platform to practically unknown Arcade Fire who are now hugely successful. The following years have had exceptional talent play – the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party, Basement Jaxx, Pet Shop Boys, Elbow, Groove Armada, M.I.A, the Beastie Boys, The Chemical Brothers, Bjork, Sonic Youth, Franz Ferdinand, the Sex Pistols, The Gossip, MGMT, The Klaxons and The Flaming Lips.

This year is no exception and a stellar line-up has already been announced for the Co. Laois festival from September 3rd to 5th, these include:
The Frames, Imelda May, The Horrors, Massive Attack, Roxy Music, LCD Soundsystem, Bloody Beetroots, Crystal Castles, Mumford & Sons, Seasick Steve, Fever Ray, Jonsi, Hot Chip, Beach House, The Big Pink, Dublin Gospel Choir, The Villagers, Messiah J and The Expert, Edan, Memory Tapes, Steve Mason, Cymande, New Pornographers, Villagers, The Redneck Manifesto, Modest Mouse, Afro Celt System, Booka Shade, Bad Lieutenant, Fat Freddy's Drop, Leftfield, Gill Scott Heron, Adrian Crowley, Liquid Liquid, Here We go Music, Breakestra, 808 State, The Alarm, The National and Left Field.

Tickets go on sale again tomorrow morning, Friday March 26 at 9am, for the second round. There are no “day” tickets but commuting is allowed. A weekend camping ticket is €240, as is a family ticket, available from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.