After 20 years in Stradbally, Electric Picnic is set to move to a new Laois location.
LaoisToday understands that the organisers have concluded a deal that will see the hugely popular annual music festival move just out the road to Ratheniska to the site that has been used previously for the National Ploughing Championships.
That major switch is also allowing the Ploughing to move permanently to Stradbally.
The news comes just days after Hozier, Chappell Roan, Sam Fender, Kings of Leon and Fat Boy Slim were announced as headliners.
With Electric Picnic’s attendance set to increase to 80,000 this year, it is understood that organisers believe the new venue will allow it grow to become comparable to Glastonbury in size.
“We have always been looking to make the Picnic bigger and better,” said a well-placed Electric Picnic source.
“And we have the perfect venue right on our doorstep in Ratheniska. The Ploughing site is ideal as it has proven it can handle massive amounts of people.
“100,000 people per day move in an out of there when The Ploughing is on.
“In addition, the good people of Ratheniska are simply in a different class when it comes to stewarding, directing cars and basically anything to do with wearing a high-viz bib.
“It’s very hard to overlook that level of expertise when it comes to organising an event of this scale.”
“Whether it’s Jimmy Swims or Branson Boone, we’ll have the red carpet rolled out for them,” added a member of the Ratheniska committee that helped secure the deal.
“Kylie, Madonna, Arctic Monkeys or the Wolfe Tones – we’ll have tea, soup and sandwiches for them all.
“One crowd we’d be a bit wary about are that choir from Timahoe. Them lads would ate you out of house and home.”
A high-ranking Stradbally community spokesperson told LaoisToday that “the move makes perfect sense”.
“We’ve had it now for long enough and we’re delighted that another local area, especially one as wonderful as our neighbours in Ratheniska, are going to take on the mantle of being Electric Picnic hosts.
“We’re also delighted now to get a go at the Ploughing. We just can’t wait.”
A spokesperson for Electric Picnic said today, Tuesday, April 1, that they will be issuing a full statement about the move in the coming days.
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