Tributes paid to Electric Picnic founder John Reynolds

By Eoin English and Stephen Rogers

Tributes have been paid to music promoter and founder of the Electric Picnic John Reynolds, who has died.

“It is with great sadness that the Reynolds family confirm the sudden death of John Reynolds of POD this evening,” his family said in a statement.

“John, aged 52 years, who was one of Ireland’s leading independent festival and concert promoters, died suddenly at his home in Milltown, Dublin.

“Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days. The family request privacy at this time.”

It said Metropolis Festival will go ahead Saturday and Sunday as scheduled in Dublin’s RDS.

Cork DJ Stevie G, who knew Mr Reynolds well, paid tribute to him on social media.

“John was a terrific visionary who changed the face of music festivals in Ireland,” he said.

“From the Electric Picnic to All Together Now, he was always way ahead of the game, and many of his ideas have been incorporated by nearly every big festival now.

On a personal note, I DJ’d for him back in the Pod and he gave me my biggest ever gig, warming up for Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child in the now 3Arena, and from then to now he would always call me or text me personally about a gig.

“He will be sadly missed by us all and he leaves an undeniably rich legacy.”

Very sad to hear about John Reynolds. He changed the game for festivals here. I did my first gigs in Dublin in the Pod for him & Martin Thomas (RIP), and he asked me to play a huge show with Destinys Child and later the EP & more recently All together now. May he Rest In Peace

— Stevie G (@StevieGrainger) October 25, 2018

Also paying tribute on social media, radio presenter Ian Dempsey said Mr Reynolds was a "visionary concert promoter" while fellow broadcaster Tom Dunne said, "he was an artist when it came to curation".