4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Electric Picnic boss insists Irish language has 'huge place' at festival
Electric Picnic organiser Melvin Benn has said the Irish language will have a "huge place" at the festival – as he announces the return of a popular site.
Hundreds of thousands of fans will descend on Stradbally in Co Laois from August 29 until August 31 for this year's Electric Picnic.
And for those who want a more chilled out experience at Electric Picnic, Festival Republic boss has revealed the return of popular Hazelwood.
The site will host plenty of music, poetry, comedy and performance art taking place all weekend.
Mr Benn said: "As the biggest music and arts festival in Ireland, it is important to us that the Irish language has a place at the heart of Electric Picnic.
"Working with Conradh na Gaeilge and Raidió Rí-Rá over the years, we have seen a rise in the number of Irish language artists who perform at Electric Picnic, and this year we're also seeing a huge increase in the number of people staying in the Gaeltacht campsite at the festival."
By day, catch Liam O'Connor who holds the Guinness Record for the fastest fingers on an accordion or Misleor who will be showcasing music from Ireland's Travelling Community. Plus music from Sacred Sites, Julie Goo, An Galar Dub, Rageire, The Alcove - Kiss my Grass, Electric Youth, Cahercalla Rebellion, Aine Deane, Coscan Fogues, Stradbally Choir, Strive Theatre, The Crows Old Gold and DJ Nemo. The main stage pictured at Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois during a preview of Electric Picnic (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Agency)
Picnickers are invited to get lost in the Hazelwood Afterdark, where they will be spellbound by songs and stories as Gaeilge. After fall of dark, bilingual bands and musicians of every genre will enchant the crowds with music - from Éire agus Chulainn's traditional offering to Dysania's "bog-rock", and from IMLÉ's hip-hop to Earthmover's post-rock shoegaze.
Across the weekend musicians such as John Spillane, Bláithín Mhic Chana and Piarais Ó Lorcáin, Lisa Morray, Jessie and the Veil, Lost West, Earthmover, Little Kings, IMLÉ, Dysania, Fianna Bána, DJ Ferdilicious, and Éire agus Chulainn will take to the gorgeous stage nestled in the festival's leafy forest.
Many of the bands on stage this year have taken part in the Glór Ár Linne development scheme, run by Raidió Rí-Rá with the support of Dublin City Council and Creative Ireland, which provided workshops and entry-points to the music industry for up-and-coming artists creating music as Gaeilge. An aerial view of the Electric Picnic festival site at Stradbally in County Laois
These bands include Jessie and the Veil, Earthmover, Lisa Murray, Little Kings, and Éire agus Chulainn.
Emma Ní Chearúil, Station Manager at Raidió Rí-Rá said: "We're thrilled to be back in the Collchoill or Hazelwood again this year, bringing amazing musicians and magic to the night-time events there.
"This year's lineup is incredibly diverse and we think it's an accurate reflection of the range of talent and genres that 'Irish language music' encapsulates today.
"We're also grateful to Festival Republic who have been so enthusiastic in their support for the Collchoill Afterdark and the Gaeltacht Campsite, helping us grow and develop both spaces to new heights this year."
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