The Electric Picnic Music festival has received €423,135 in funding under the Live Performance Support Scheme.
This money is to be used to help run Electric Picnic this year – one of 237 events being supported by State funding published today.
€25 million in funding is being provided to assist commercial venues, producers and promoters to plan live performances across the country over the summer months.
This scheme is part of a €50 million suite of measures to support the live entertainment sector and follows exceptional demand and very successful outcomes of the €5 million pilot Live Performance Support Scheme.
Developed in consultation with the sector, the main objective of this scheme is to provide significant employment and wellbeing opportunities across the live entertainment sector and will support the continued generation of high quality artistic output for the general public.
The scheme aims to support live performances particularly where capacity for live attendance is restricted due to Covid-19, and where funding will make live performances viable or alternatively make them available online if audiences cannot attend due to restrictions.
There was a high level of interest in this scheme, with over 400 imaginative and diverse applications submitted for consideration, once again reflecting the resilient, talented and innovative nature of this sector.
The department acknowledges and appreciates the work and effort that went into preparing these applications, however given the volume of applications received, it was not possible to allocate funding to all eligible applicants.
Recipients of this funding range from small to large venues, producers and promoters, supporting live events in every county, including festivals, concerts, theatre productions, comedy and outdoor events.
A second Laois establishment, Kavanagh’s Bar in Portlaoise, received €157,539.
This, according Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, will be used to help with a series of live events from the Main Street Portlaoise venue.
Whether or not the Electric Picnic will go ahead this year is still up in the air.
Last month, Laois TD Sean Fleming revealed that organisers had informed him that a decision on the festival would be made by the end of June.
But Fianna Fail Councillor Paschal McEvoy, who is based in Stradbally, says he does not want the festival to go ahead.
This year’s Electric Picnic is scheduled to run from September 4-6 – less than three months away.
SEE ALSO – Stradbally based Laois County Councillor says Electric Picnic should not go ahead
