Electric Picnic day one: Five highlights from Stradbally as rain doesn't dampen spirits
Electric Picnic 2022: The crowd enjoy the first night and, right, Megan Thee Stallion on stage. Pictures: Roisin Murphy O'Sullivan, Ana Meiu
The clouds miraculously parted over Co Laois on Friday, as more than 70,000 excited festival-goers descended on Stradbally once more.
It had been three years since the Electric Picnic masses last made those sacred 600 acres their home - and people were more than ready to make up for lost time.
Here are just some of the highlights from Day One.
The atmosphere was electric, so to speak, from the moment the long journey from the car park to the campsite began.
A group lugging crates of cans via a wheelie bin garnered plenty of laughs, while others cursed Dunnes Stores as their trollies broke under the pressure of three days worth of camp gear.
Nothing makes entry to a festival easy, but a sturdy cart bag might be the way to start next time.
Although the clouds didn’t quite stay parted, it did stay dry through the first sets of this year’s stellar lineup. Limerick’s Denise Chaila got things underway at the arena’s Main Stage early, bringing just as much energy as she did to this year’s All Together Now festival.
Girl in Red also drew a crowd at Rankin’s Wood around the same time, setting the stage for a phenomenal performance from Little Simz.
The Top Boy star broke the internet after winning a slew of Brit Awards earlier this year and has been taking over the festival circuit since. Seeing her in Ireland was a treat - though many were disappointed to have to choose between seeing her and fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
The latter had the Main Stage audience enthralled, energetically dancing her way through 45 minutes of fun.
Throngs of people had already gathered around the stage for an equally memorable performance by Glass Animals, whose hit Heatwaves went down just as well as Stallion’s fan favourite 'WAP'.
It was just the burst of energy needed before Dermot Kennedy finally took the stage. Kennedy must have been the obvious choice to close out Electric Picnic’s first night back after the pandemic; emotions were high as he belted out 'All My Friends', with everyone joining in unison to sing the now iconic line: “Some summer night I know I hope I’ll see you again”.
In other parts of the arena, Willow, Fontaines DC, Mall Grab, and rising Co Kilkenny stars 49th & Main all received rave reviews.
A ‘jungle’ flocked to witness Fred Again take over Rankin’s Wood later in the night, perhaps many more than organisers had planned.
The English DJ, famous for his tracks Jungle and Turn On The Lights, has exploded on social media since Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing) took over stations during lockdown.
Although the bad weather set in overnight, if day one of Electric Picnic was anything to go by - as the famous line from Marea goes - ‘what comes next will be marvelous’.
