Latest news with #ElectricPicnic
RTÉ News
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Preparations under way for Ablefest 2025 in Co Meath
Preparations are well under way for what is set to be Ireland's first and largest music and arts festival for people with additional needs, which will take place in Co Meath this weekend. The organisers of Ablefest have said the non-profit event aims to highlight the importance of inclusivity and accessibility, and attendees class it as their Electric Picnic. This year's line-up will see the likes of Jake Carter, Johnny Brady, Brian Mullen, Catch 22, Matt Leavy, tribute act Irish Elvis, and Bingo Loco take to the stage at Fairyhouse Racecourse on Saturday. Festival-goers will also be able to enjoy a "myriad of creative fun" at an array of art and activity stations. Special toilets will be provided by AccessoLoo on the day for wheelchair users needing hoists while there will also be staffed sensory pods on site. Co-founded in 2018 by Shay Casserley and Kevin Farrell, who both have children with additional needs, this year's festival is set to be the biggest one yet. It is also the first year that Ablefest will take place at Fairyhouse Racecourse to accommodate a larger number of attendees, and the first year that Meath County Council is partnering with the event. Ablefest has donated thousands of euros to charities in recent years and organisers are now looking into using the proceeds from the event to sponsor respite care for families. Collaborations have also been formed with other festivals such as TradFest in Dublin and the St Patrick's Day Festival in Killarney. Co-founder and festival director, Mr Farrell said that he and Mr Casserley set up the festival as there was nothing like it already established in Ireland. He said: "We are very excited to collaborate with Meath County Council for Ablefest 2025, which is shaping up to be our biggest and best yet. "Ablefest is the first and largest accessible festival in Ireland, where 1.2 million people have a disability, and I am proud to welcome people from all over the country to Fairyhouse for a fantastic event." Meanwhile, Chief Executive of Meath County Council, Kieran Kehoe said: "Meath County Council is delighted to partner with this year's Ablefest event, once again showcasing Meath as an inclusive county for people of all abilities. "The excellent line-up and supportive festival environment will ensure Ablefest 2025 will undoubtedly be a great day out for all on Saturday," Mr Kehoe added. Tickets for Ablefest 2025 are still available to purchase online with organisers stating that all money raised is used to cover the cost of the event itself, or else is donated to charity.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Darren Kiely: 'All these things are hard to believe they're happening'
Viral folk-pop star Darren Kiely is gearing up to headline the final night of the Bulmers Live at Leopardstown series this Thursday. Hailing from a small town in Cork, Kiely, who fuses traditional Irish roots with modern folk-pop influences, began singing in 2019 and quickly drew attention for his powerful vocals and heartfelt songwriting. A gifted multi-instrumentalist from a young age, the star recently dropped his newest single, Married on My Phone. 'I guess, living away now, you lose touch with people,' Darren Kiely told the Irish Mirror ahead of his massive Bulmers Live at Leopardstown show. 'I'm kind of running into people that I would have known when I was back in school. And I feel like people are living kind of completely different lives to what I remember it as. 'I just wanted to write something about how jarring that could be and how that situation could pop up. I've seen kind of crazy life events for people I kind of used to know online. 'I think it's just kind of a mad thing how maybe 20 or 30 years ago, people just kind of went out of their lives and never, never saw or heard of them again. 'And now it's just very different, and it's kind of something you can't really escape. I just thought it was just really interesting to me. 'I think it's kind of really jarring, and that's why I kind of wanted to make a song about it.' The folk-pop star released his newest single recently The songwriter has gone from strength to strength over his career, playing shows at Electric Picnic, the Olympia and more. Darren said through all the 'mad moments' he sometimes feels an 'imposter syndrome'. 'I think of some of the shows I've played at home,' Darren explained. 'I think of Electric Picnic last summer. We got to play in the Electric Arena there, and some of the shows in March, I definitely remember the Olympia being special. 'And playing in Cork, all those ones were just, I don't know if it was pivotal, but it was just, such a kind of a mad moment. They were all mad moments. 'And then, trying to put on shows in different different countries and for people to be there for all those moments feels like, it feels like someone else is doing it... so there's definitely like an imposter syndrome. 'But it's just trying to do it again and trying to go back and hopefully get those moments again. 'I feel like, if I can do it one more time around, maybe I'll be feeling the exact same way as I am right now, but I feel like I'll be more confident that it'll be something that might go on for as long as I wanted to go on.' A view of the crowd at Leopardstown Racecourse for the Bulmers Live Festival series in Dublin Kiely will be headlining night four of the Bulmers Live at Leopardstown series this Thursday, July 24, closing out the event with a bang. 'It's very exciting,' the folk star said of the upcoming performance. 'Playing shows at home is probably the most excited you could be for any shows. 'It's just always fun, having new music thrown into it is exciting... all these things are hard to believe they're happening. And then you're there. 'Even we were in Ottawa the other day, and you're like, 'This is mad'. My brain doesn't even look ahead to be like, 'Is there going to be people there?' And then there is! That's amazing. I feel massively inspired and excited now after having done that. 'I guess when you kind of plod along and you write songs, and you don't really see people, or you're just kind of watching a phone or stuff is going online. It's so nice to get out and play in front of people. It's a serious buzz.' Darren Kiely plays Bulmers Live at Leopardstown on Thursday, 24 July. Tickets from just €30 are on sale now here. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
BreakingNews.ie
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Public urged to watch out for ticket scams ahead of Oasis and Electric Picnic
Social media posts advertising tickets for Oasis or Electric Picnic should be treated with a healthy amount of suspicion. Oasis will play two sold-out gigs in Dublin in the middle of August, while Electric Picnic will return at the end of next month. Advertisement Bank of Ireland is warning that it is expecting scammers to be highly active ahead of those major events. The bank said some red flags include pressure to buy quickly, unusually low prices, and no opportunity to meet in person. Bank of Ireland said fraudsters are increasingly targeting music fans with social media posts, and said its purchase fraud is up by almost a fifth in the first six months of this year, compared to 2024. Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, Nicola Sadlier, said: "With these gigs coming up, including the likes of Electric Picnic, we believe fradusters will be highly active. "We want customers to enjoy the music and not fall victim to fraud. Scammers know how much people want to see popular bands or attend festivals and they're using that to trick people inot handing over their money." Sadlier said people should not be embarrassed to get in touch with the bank if they have been scammed. "Get in touch and we will do our best to recover those funds for you as soon as we become aware, no judgment at all."
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Your essential (and sustainable) guide to prepping for a festival
With festivals like All Together Now and Electric Picnic nearing, many will be thinking about how to balance sustainability and fun. Here, Sarah Finnan lists some of the ways to enjoy festival season as sustainably as possible. If you've ever spent three days camping in a field with strangers, you'll know the aftermath of festival season: mangled gazebos, plastic cups, empty food wrappers, and shredded ponchos strewn across the grass. Even perfectly useful items, still in relatively good condition, sometimes get the chop, simply because patrons are too tired (and lazy) to try and repack everything they brought with them. There's a strange cognitive dissonance at play: we'll fork out €8 for a biodegradable glitter set, then abandon a two-man tent without a second thought. The truth is, convenience often wins out. It's easy to preach sustainability in theory, far harder to uphold it when you're ankle-deep in mud, stiff, hungover and bone tired… but that's no excuse to leave your rubbish for someone else to deal with. Sustainable steps Festivals generate tonnes of waste every summer, but a large portion of it is avoidable. According to Pat Kane, Chief Sustainability Officer at Pragmatica and founder of reuzi, it's "totally possible to have the time of your life while still being mindful of your impact". "It's about small, intentional choices, being aware of what you're bringing in (and taking out), and choosing better-made camping gear or preloved fashion," she tells me. Single-use items, fast fashion, waste management and transport emissions are among the biggest sustainability challenges come festival season. If we want to keep enjoying these events with a clear conscience, we need to rethink how we prepare for them – and how we leave them behind. So, what can we do? Always prioritise reusables (collapsible cups, cutlery, a lunchbox/tub that can double as a plate), for one. Pat also recommends biodegradable wipes or a small towel, both of which are better than baby wipes (which don't break down), and a solar-powered charger. Nicola Connolly from sustainable skincare brand Nunaïa agrees. "I think if you adopt a sustainability mindset ahead of a festival, this will automatically impact the products you bring and ultimately mean you are taking a more holistic and sustainable approach." Pack smart She also advises packing a bin bag and taking all your rubbish with you. "I find this helps me be more mindful of what I bring in and the amount of waste I create," she explains. On the topic of beauty, she endorses decanting favourites into smaller containers and opting for items that serve myriad purposes. "Choose multi-tasking products that do more than one thing. For example, the Nunaïa Superfood Cleansing Balm also hydrates your skin and can work as a highlighter too." When it comes to camping gear, look for recycled materials (e.g. recycled polyester, nylon) and shop with durability in mind – buy once and well, and you'll get years of use out of it. Borrowing from friends and shopping secondhand are also great alternatives. Not only is this better for the environment, but it will ultimately save you money, too. Vango and Quechua (by Decathlon) are two brands doing it better, as per Pat, "They have decent quality entry-level tents and gear. Snugpak and Alpkit make more durable outdoor gear with sustainability goals in place. For sleeping bags, look for ones with RDS-certified down (responsibly sourced) or recycled fill." Avoid ultra-cheap pop-up tents as these don't often survive more than one use. Positive initiatives The good news is that there is a growing awareness of the environmental impact that such big events can have, and as audiences become more eco-conscious, festivals will likely feel increasing pressure to meet clear sustainability benchmarks. Take All Together Now, an independent music and arts festival held annually at Curraghmore Estate in Co Waterford, Ireland. This year, sustainability initiatives include hybrid power for site offices, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel (a renewable and sustainable diesel fuel alternative made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or other waste materials), and an on-site vintage clothes shop. The festival also promotes a "no single-use" policy, particularly regarding plastic bottles. Native Events, Ireland's leading sustainable event production company, is collaborating with All Together Now again his year to integrate circular systems, renewable technologies, and ecological thinking. Ditch the car While the industry is making progress, event curator Azeez Saeed says that there is still work to be done, particularly as there isn't a representative body pushing for specific environmental regulations. "The greatest carbon footprint at an event or large gathering comes from audience travel," he tells me. "When we go to a camping festival, we feel the need to bring loads of stuff, which leads to lots of car journeys. "In Ireland, we're very fond of saying that the public transport system is terrible, and we're forced to drive everywhere. However, this is slowly changing, and really when we're planning our journey we should start by thinking about other ways of travelling." Over the past few years, All Together Now has started offering bus and coach transport options to help alleviate this issue. Green festivals In terms of what festival organisers can do, Azeez says the biggest environmental impact comes from last-minute additions and changes to a pre-existing plan. "As an event organiser, you can reduce your generator and diesel needs if you plan your power requirements, zone by zone. You can reduce your transport needs if you're mindful of how many warehouse or shopping runs you need to do, and stick to them. "You can reduce food waste by carefully planning how many people you need to feed. And you can drastically reduce your carbon footprint and the impact on nature and biodiversity if you make the switch to a vegan and vegetarian menu." "The best way to stop greenwashing is to provide transparency to show how you're really eco-conscious or climate-positive," continues Azeez. If he could redesign the Irish festival system from scratch, he would start with an outreach and upskilling programme. "There are degree-level university courses for event management out there, but these are very centred around tourism and hospitality, and don't really prepare the cohort for the realities of working at large-scale, outdoor events. So, specific festival training, with environmental sustainability integrated from the very beginning, would be brilliant." Future planning Native Events has already provided loads of training programmes and webinars on this subject, and they're working towards offering a comprehensive, accredited programme later this year. Establishing a national body would be step two, along with a sustainable suppliers database with a shared hub for all the assets, resources and materials needed. Earlier this year, Native Events organised Realise, a summit centred on climate action for the cultural and creative industries. The key takeaway? There's already a lot being done to tackle the climate crisis, but most of that work is being done in silos. "Further collaboration is needed," says Azeez. "Alone, the climate crisis can feel overwhelming, but together we can give each other hope and different perspectives, which can then translate into motivation, inspiration and most importantly, action!" "It's not far-fetched to imagine a future where festivals are rated or even certified based on their environmental efforts," echoes Pat. "Whether you're attending or organising, there's a real opportunity to celebrate and make a difference… all without losing the fun and flair that festivals are known for".
Extra.ie
4 days ago
- Extra.ie
What to bring - 13 essential festival items to pack for EP
Festival season is right around the corner and whether you're a seasoned pro or completely new to the festival scene, everybody needs a checklist of what to pack for the weekend. All Together Now is fast approaching and when the dust settles in Waterford, it's only a few short weeks until Electric Picnic kicks off. If you're attending either or both of them, there are always a certain amount of essentials that can prepare you for whatever the unpredictability of Irish summer can throw at you. Electric Picnic is right around the corner. Pic: has compiled a list of items that can help you make the most of your musical weekend. An obvious but crucial one to get things started. The state of your tent can make or break your weekend. A good quality tent should be first on the purchase list because when it rains and pours overnight you don't want to wake up in a puddle. If you already have a tent it would be worth pitching it somewhere as a test to make sure everything's in order. A broken pole or faulty string could lead to an unfortunate collapse in the middle of the night and sleeping under the stars might sound nice but if the clouds roll in you will want a strong shelter. A sleeping bag is a great investment no matter where you are camping. It will not be warm at night and having something that zips all around you is a great bonus. However, the bag itself won't make the hard ground any more comfortable than it usually is. It could be worth packing a small pillow, roll mat and anything else soft to guarantee that however many hours sleep you manage to get are enjoyed. Festival season is one of the best times of the year. Pic: All Together Now. Everyone sees what kind of state the campsites at festivals are left in at the end of the weekend. It's up to you to make sure your little area won't contribute to a much larger issue. Bin bags will make sure life easier for not just disposing of empty cans but any and all litter that inevitably builds up over the few days. A clean campsite is just nicer to return to when the main stages shut down. You would hope that festivals in July and August would be full of sunshine and warm evenings but the Irish weather does not like to play along with expectations. Rain is always on the cards and wet clothes can really dampen the mood. Rain jackets are common sense items to pack in your bag but spare shoes are also pretty crucial. If the weather is bad there'll be no chance to let them dry outside and sludging around with wet feet is not much fun. Don't forget to put your spare clothes in some sort of waterproof bag as well just in case your tent does spring a leak. Not only are plenty of socks essential for wet weather, they can also provide extra warmth at night. Fluffy or thick socks are always a popular choice that can also provide padding if your feet start to blister. There will be a lot of walking involved either way. Some items are absolutely essential to bring along. Pic: Michael Chester You can never have too many toiletries when you're camped out in a field. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and sanitary products are all quite essential when you don't have easy access to a warm shower. Baby wipes are also a good item to bring along, especially if the rain comes and mud starts to take over. Dry shampoo comes in very handy when you wake up with greasy hair. Showers are usually available but at a price and this will improve your look while adding a bit of well-needed freshness to your head. Night time is not warm. Your sleeping bag will help with this, but you don't want to be left shivering and struggling for some much needed rest. Pack a big hoodie and tracksuit bottoms that you can sleep in and if you do end up being too warm then you can always shed a layer. It's always better to have the option. While food is obviously available to buy at the festivals, it is well worth bringing snacks along with you to store in the tent. If you're arriving back to the campsite with the music still ringing in your ears, waking up early with an empty stomach or just needing to keep fueled throughout the day, some food on hand could be a life saver. Flapjacks, protein bars, nuts, crackers and fruit are all good choices to keep hunger at bay, so that you can concentrate on enjoying the music. Again, water will be available to get at the festival but waking up at 5am, dying of thirst is not something you want to go through. A pack of small water bottles will come in really handy for the end of the night when you just want to collapse into your tent. They will also be essential for the morning hangover. People should be prepared for any kind of weather. Pic: Aron Cahill Whether you're recording the entire concert to share online or trying to find your friends in a sea of identical faces, you will need your phone to have enough juice to last throughout the night. Bring along a power bank – or even two – and make sure you fully charge them before leaving the house. Also, don't forget the charging cable itself. You would hope that the portable toilets will be fully stocked for the waves of people using them all day but they can run out incredibly quickly. Bringing your own toilet paper would save you the pain of waiting behind 15 people to use the toilet only to find it completely empty. Finally, a camping chair is another quite obvious but sometimes forgotten about essential. Sitting in a circle outside your tents is good fun for everyone with a chair but you don't want to be the only one sitting on the ground or uncomfortably standing while trying to keep a conversation going. All of these items can make sure you make the most of your weekend and hopefully some of them are not necessary in the end.
