Electric Picnic 2022 is sold out
Elbow perform on the main stage during day three of the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, County Laois, in 2019
After a three-year hiatus and two postponed summer weekenders, festival promoters and organisers have revealed the first wave of announcements for this September's Electric Picnic festival, running from Friday September 2 to Sunday September 4 - and tickets sold out within an hour of going on sale this morning.
Among the big names confirmed for this year's instalment of the season-closing weekend festival are Sheffield indie titans Arctic Monkeys, Australian psych-rockers Tame Impala, Northern indie legends Snow Patrol, US rapper Megan Thee Stallion, and Irish radio favourites Picture This and Dermot Kennedy; as well as Dublin post-punks Fontaines D.C. and US alt-rock legends Pixies.
Homegrown talent is more than represented in the first wave of announcements, including performances from Cork singer Lyra; Limerick rapper Denise Chaila; country queen CMAT; Dundalk shoegazers Just Mustard; 'atmosfolk duo' Saint Sister; and poet/producer For Those I Love.
Other names announced for the festival include cult noise-rap favourite JPEGMAFIA, Japanese/American rocker Rina Sawayama, rapper Little Simz and post-punk grouches Sleaford Mods, among a full line-up to be announced.
The nature of the lineup had been subject to speculation in the run-up to the event, owing to a purported leak via ticket-listings and artist services site Bandsintown.
The festival's announcement comes after the confirmation by organisers that a licence for a vastly-expanded campsite had been applied for to Laois County Council, with organisers hoping to host up to 70,000 festival-goers over the course of the weekend - subject to the representations of local stakeholders and councillors.
New stages include the Mind and Body and Mindfield stages, replacing the Body and Soul area; and Jerry Fish's Fishtown complex; while the familar Hazel Wood and Freetown areas make a return, each with themed stages and bespoke lineups.
The 2020 event was cancelled relatively early that year due to the newly-imposed Covid-19 restrictions, but last year’s festival had been mired in controversy with the organisers initially postponing the event by three weeks, after local councillors voted against granting the licence despite industry calls for it to go ahead.
This year's application said campsite, arena entrances, and arena layouts have been reviewed and amended accordingly to accommodate the additional capacity.
Ticketholders for the cancelled 2020 and 2021 instalments of the festival that have held onto their passes will have them honoured, while new tickets will be made available via Ticketmaster.Â
Refunds had been made available after the 2020 and 2021 cancellations, issued to those unable to take the festival up on their offer.
- Electric Picnic 2022 runs from Friday September 2 to Sunday September 4, at Stradbally Hall Estate, Co. Laois. Weekend and day tickets are officially sold out.Â
- Lineup is subject to change, the festival is subject to licence, and public health advice may change before the date.
