Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic – The Multi-Functional Marvel
How time flies! It must seem like yesterday that you were packing up that tent and readying yourself for the journey home after a festival weekend (or longer) jam-packed with epic delusion and drunken debauchery; and the time is here again, the time to choose where you will be getting down and dirty this year? Well, let me introduce the rock ‘n’ roll circus that is Electric Picnic; a rip-roaring Irish bonanza that is set amid the rolling lawns of Stradbally hall in County Laois, offering everything from fantastic music to audience-rousing pantomimes, oh yes they do!
Part of the Festival Republic group, ‘Ireland’s version of Glastonbury’ is in some prestigious company; sitting alongside such massive events as the Leeds, Reading and Latitude Festivals in the UK, as well as Norway’s ‘Hove’ and the Berlin Festival. The eco-friendly celebration is seen to be one of the more unique in the Emerald Isle, offering a more eclectic mix of music than some others in the mainstream; with a history that includes such prominent and diverse acts as Basement Jaxx, New Order and The Chemical Brothers.
The 2015 lineup is no different, with an exciting bill of acts set to grace the main stage between the 4th and 6th of September; these include the likes of Sam Smith, Blur, Grace Jones, Manic Street Preachers and Chvrches amongst a host of others; and that’s just for starters! Pay homage to the humble holiday caravan at the Trailer Park, an incongruous theatrical enclosure made up of joined up stacked campers, vintage caravans, stylised mobile homes and reconditioned retro trailers; where you’ll find an eccentric community of performers, stylers, feeders and imbibers that work together with a host of bands to provide a fantastic entertainment for the audience. The Little Big Tent is a must-visit for those Indie and Electronica fans, famed for some stunning performances from the likes of Glass Animals and SOHN; whilst Trenchtown offers all that is needed for the reggae crowd, with live bands, DJ’s and MC’s dedicated to all things Jamaican, and let’s not forget the fabulous Caribbean cuisine! Engage your brain at the MindField Arena, with several activities provided from science experiments to literary readings and political debates; or tap into that creative side in the forging of a memento to take home with you at the Greencrafts village; and for the laugh-seekers amongst us, the comedy tent will provide you with many a chuckle, with a variety of established and up-coming jokers on show.
If you like what you read, why not check out http://www.electricpicnic.ie/i nformation/tickets and see which ticket-type would suit you? Electric picnic offers many different solutions 
to suit many a budget; so the majority are catered for. Alternatively, you can sign up to volunteer at the festival through http://www.electricpicnic.ie/i nformation/volunteer and get in absolutely free!
So, you’ve put in your research and bought your ticket; now, how to get there? There are plenty of options for festival-goers when it comes to travel. For those that live on the other side of the channel, there are a number of flights to Dublin Airport on offer from all over the UK, with prices starting at £18 from the likes of Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow for the dates of the event; there is then a coach service on offer from Custom House Quay that will take you directly to the festival; alternatively, there is a train service that will take you to Portlaoise Train Station. For those that reside on the Ireland, there are a number of options, from a coach or bus service, to travelling by bike; with a designated area made available that is located adjacent to the tour de picnic bike racks. Also, of course, travelling by campervan is a possibility; with a number of areas made available from which to camp in style!
By Calum Dewsbury.