Another summer music festival

THE battle between the country’s two leading concert promoters is about to heat up with a mystery music festival added to this summer’s calendar.

Yesterday MCD Productions flagged its intention to host a major new three-day concert in Kildare on the weekend of June 15, a month before its Oxegen festival.

It will be set against the backdrop of the historic Castletown House in Celbridge and aims to attract 25,000 people a day.

This is on an identical scale and similar setting to Ireland’s other country-estate concert — the Electric Picnic.

The boutique picnic festival is already well established on the 600 acre Stradbally Hall estate in Co Laois and is run by MCD’s fierce rivals, Aiken Promotions.

MCD spokesman, Justin Green, said the company would remain tight-lipped about the potential lineup until a licence had been secured.

“We are submitting an application for a licence to Kildare County Council but I can say nothing further. At the moment we are just at the stage of applying for a licence.”

A list of acts has been drawn up but MCD said this will not be released.