Latest news with #ElectricPicnic
Irish Times
19 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Festival food trucks: ‘People definitely think you're making more money than you are. Sometimes you just break even'
Freshly shucked oysters. Kombucha stations. Filipino adobo. Acai bowls. Vegan spice bags. It sounds like a line-up from a fancy food event, but these are just some of the things I ate last year at Irish music festivals: the quality of the food they offer has soared over the past decade. So have the prices, however. When a typical festival feed is edging close to €20, what exactly are you paying for? Turns out it's a lot more than just food. Full disclosure before we delve into things. I'm a festival worker as well as a food-and-drink writer. Since Electric Picnic's Theatre of Food debuted, Irish festivals have used food stages as an additional draw. And lots of us writers host and book these food-and-drink stages. It has also meant that, over the years, I've been asked to help find food trucks and traders. But I soon discovered that this is not my forte. It involves much more than knowing about good food. Sourcing food traders for festivals requires a unique skill set: knowing how many traders are needed, what customers will want to eat, when they'll want it and whether the traders' set-ups can handle the pressure of feeding thousands of people in a field over a long weekend. That's when someone like Vanessa Clarke, a stalwart of Irish food, steps in. She has been booking traders since the very first Electric Picnic, in 2004, when John Reynolds , the festival's late founder, tasked her with filling the fields without relying on the usual event fast-food vendors. 'He told me food is a headline act: we've got to look after our food.' READ MORE Since then, food's role has grown so much that traders' names often appear on posters alongside those of music acts, adding another layer of buzz. Will Rolfe, music booker and curator of Forbidden Fruit , In the Meadows and All Together Now , agrees. 'Our audiences expect a quality and considered programme,' he says. 'For me, food and music are two things that are unavoidable, so it's worth getting both right.' He notes how food shapes a festival's reputation and talks about the word-of-mouth that spreads about who's serving the best grub in the same way people might talk about which bands they've seen. Food's headline status might make it sound like all fun and good craic, but, as Clarke says, 'Trading at a festival is really, really hard work. You need huge stamina and must be prepared to take a gamble.' That gamble is something Kwanghi Chan of the Bites food truck knows only too well. After years of festival trading, he now only picks events he knows will be successful. He charges about €17 per meal. 'It's not just the food you pay for,' he says. 'There's insurance, fire certificates, trailer servicing, staff welfare. Costs add up, so prices have to reflect that.' We are festival folk, and we were sick of seeing some of the rubbish offerings – people just taking frozen burgers and chips out of a box and chucking them in a fryer. If you are there to have a good time, you need some good nourishment, and that's what we are all about Last year at All Together Now, his meals of dumplings and spice bags were a big hit, drawing constant queues and fans, myself included. Next door to Bites was the equally busy Bahay , a Filipino food truck. As Alex O'Neill, one of its founders, points out, busy doesn't always mean profitable. Bahay became a firm festival favourite after bursting on to the scene five years ago, yet this summer they've largely stepped back from festival life. 'It's just become unsustainable,' she says. 'Everything – festival costs, food and labour – has gotten too expensive. We can't make it viable any more.' Theatre of Food at Electric Picnic As an avid festivalgoer herself, O'Neill worries that the vibrant Irish festival food scene is under threat. 'It used to be a place where smaller, independent businesses could get a start, but soaring costs are hitting them hardest. It's a real shame, because festival crowds want good food – they need it – and without it the whole experience suffers.' The struggle to balance quality and costs is something Matt Murphy and Seán Hussey know all too well. Four years ago they launched BishBosh Kitchen . 'We are festival folk, we love it, and we were sick of seeing some of the rubbish offerings – people just taking frozen burgers and chips out of a box and chucking them in a fryer. If you are there to have a good time, you need some good nourishment, and that's what we are all about.' With at least 12 music festivals lined up this summer, they've felt firsthand the pinch of rising expenses, from the prices of ingredients for their signature pomegranate garnish, which have tripled, to wildly fluctuating electricity costs. For them every event is a gamble. 'The spot you end up in and the Irish weather can make or break a weekend,' they say. Their prices, inevitably, have to reflect these realities. [ Electric Picnic food: Is it really overpriced or is there more to it? Opens in new window ] Philly O'Neill, who runs the Salty Buoy food truck with Niall Sabongi , knows this gamble well, too. After being stung by a bad location in past years, he's more cautious about which festivals to take on. Specialising in fresh Irish seafood and €20 lobster rolls, the Salty Buoy's offering isn't cheap; the ingredients, of course, are part of that, but O'Neill also cites needing skilled staff, not casual event workers, to handle delicate tasks such as oyster shucking. 'People definitely think you're making more money than you are. Sometimes you just break even,' he says. But, for now, he can still see the value of being at music festivals such as All Together Now. 'It's good to be seen there, and we think the demographic will suit us. It's a crowd that enjoys food.' Philly knows this crowd well, because he's one of them. When he's off duty at a festival, he plans his food line-up with the same care as his music schedule. 'You scope the whole arena on day one and decide what you're going to eat over the weekend,' he says. For him, and many others, food is a highlight between the acts. So here's a thought for your next festival trip: don't just map out the bands; map out your meals, too. Seek out the independents if you can, because you're not just paying for a bite: you're also supporting a struggling Irish food scene. And who knows? You might just discover your new favourite dish between the dancing. Festival food prices: A very rough guide A whole load of costs are involved in providing festival food. Here's an approximate breakdown of the price you pay. Festival fees: 20-30 per cent The festival might charge a pitch fee, take a percentage of your sales, or both. Many of them see taking a percentage of sales – typically from 20 per cent upwards – as fairer than a big upfront pitch fee. Electricity is a big expense on top of that (and seems to cost more at the bigger events). Each plug you need comes at a cost; vendors might also need to hire a refrigerated van. Staffing: 20-25 per cent Most are paid per hour, hours are long and the minimum wage is €13.50 an hour. Traders might also pay for staff travel, cover camping costs and feed their team while they're on site. Overheads: 10-15 per cent Trading at a festival also involves extras costs such as taking out insurance, servicing your trucks or marquee, making sure every cert and health-and-safety requirement is up to scratch, and funding travel to and from the festival. Ingredients: 20-30 per cent The cost of the food itself varies, depending on the type and quality of the ingredients, but it will typically be about the same as the festival fees that a trader pays.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
EP headliners Kings of Leon cancel UK and European tour after 'freak accident'
Electric Picnic headliners Kings of Leon have been forced to cancel their forthcoming UK and European shows after frontman Caleb Followill injured his foot in a "freak accident". According to a statement from the band, the singer has a "serious" shattered heel injury and needed "a significant emergency surgery that will prevent him from travelling and performing". "The anticipated recovery process is expected to take 8 weeks, under strict guidance of expert orthopedic specialists. The band regrets to report that they will need to cancel all upcoming UK and European festival headline shows in June and July of this year," the Grammy Award winners said. Kings of Leon were set to kick off their European tour in Paris on June 10, and the run of 10 shows would have concluded on July 12 in Portugal. Despite being forced to cancel a slew of upcoming shows, the Use Somebody rockers are still expected to perform at Electric Picnic in Co Laois in late August. Followill took to social media soon after the band announced that they were cancelling their upcoming tour dates to confirm that he had undergone emergency surgery after suffering a "gnarly" foot injury while playing with his children. "Hello to everyone out there, especially to our European fans that are preparing to come see us this summer," Followill said in a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that those shows will have to be cancelled due to a freak accident that happened the other day – broke my foot pretty bad, just playing with my kids, it's pretty gnarly, I'll spare [you] all the details. "But we're fortunate enough to have some great doctors here in Nashville that gave me emergency surgery, and I'm on the mend, but they've told me that I can't be on my feet or travelling or anything for the next eight weeks or so. "And that's a big bummer, man, we were so excited, we've been preparing for this tour for a long time. "We've been preparing for a lot of things, we've been in the studio recording, we have a bunch of new songs, we were going to debut a few of them on this run. "We had a lot of exciting things planned, and now we're just going to have to pivot and find a new way to continue the work that we've started. "I'm very excited when we do get to show you the stuff that we're doing, and in the meantime, we're gonna do whatever work we can while I have these limitations." Followill later showed the band's followers his leg in a cast, saying the situation was "no fun." "I know this isn't the message that anyone wants to hear and it's certainly not the message that I want to be sending," he said. "But it's gonna be alright. Everything's gonna be good and hopefully we'll see y'all soon." Kings of Leon are set to make their Electric Picnic debut this summer when they headline the Stradbally festival alongside Wicklow singer Hozier, US pop star Chappell Roan and chart-topping DJ Fatboy Slim.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘Gnarly injury' forces Kings of Leon to cancel all June and July shows ahead of Electric Picnic headliner
The singer, who is part of the US rockers with his brothers Nathan and Jared Followill and cousin Matthew Followill, were set to be at Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, and Lancashire's Lytham Festival over the next two months, in addition to other European dates. According to statement from the band, his shattered heel injury is "serious", and needed "a significant emergency surgery, that will prevent him from travelling and performing". The band are due to headline Electric Picnic in Laois on August 31, but it does not appear that that performance is affected. On Instagram on Wednesday, Followill posted a video to the band's account saying: "Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that those (European) shows will have to be cancelled due to a freak accident that happened the other day, broke my foot pretty bad, just playing with my kids, it's pretty gnarly, I'll spare (you) all the details. "But we're fortunate enough to have some great doctors here in Nashville that gave me emergency surgery, and I'm on the mend, but they've told me that I can't be on my feet or travelling or anything for the next eight weeks or so. "And that's a big bummer, man, we were so excited, we've been preparing for this tour for a long time. "We've been preparing for a lot of things we've been in the studio recording, we have a bunch of new songs, we were going to debut a few of them on this run, we had a lot of exciting things planned, and now we're just going to have to pivot." He added he was "very excited" to share the new music, and added that in the "meantime, we're going to do whatever work we can while my while I have these limitations". Before ending the video showing his foot, Followill said: "Everything's going to be good and and hopefully we'll see y'all soon. Wish us luck." The band said: "The anticipated recovery process is expected to take eight weeks, under strict guidance of expert orthopaedic specialists. The band regrets to report that they will need to cancel all upcoming UK and European festival headline shows in June and July of this year." Blackweir Live and Lytham Festival both said they would refund customers who had paid to see the group. Lytham Festival said: "Due to the cancellation of the Kings of Leon dates in June and July, we are sad to announce that they will no longer be performing at Lytham Festival on Wednesday 2nd July. "We wish Caleb a speedy recovery. Having explored all possibilities for a replacement act, it has not been possible at this late stage and therefore Lytham Festival 2025 will now run for four days from the 3rd - 6th July 2025." Blackweir said it was "sad" the show on June 29 was cancelled. The Nashville four-piece are best known for the songs Sex On Fire, Use Somebody, and Notion. The tour, in promotion of their ninth studio album Can We Please Have Fun, will also miss out on shows in Spain, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Switzerland, Belgium, and Portugal in June and July. Kings Of Leon are next due to be in the UK at Victorious Festival in Newcastle, and Portsmouth in August, following the band performing at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey towards the end of July.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
2FM Go Live at Major Music Festivals Across Summer 2025
2FM is hitting the road this summer, broadcasting live from Ireland's biggest music festivals, starting with Forbidden Fruit this June Bank Holiday weekend. From Kilmainham to Glendalough, Waterford and Stradbally, 2FM will be bringing live shows, top-tier music and all the behind-the-scenes festival vibes directly to listeners nationwide. The summer festival tour includes: Forbidden Fruit – 31 May & 1 June Beyond The Pale – 13–15 June All Together Now – 31 July–3 August Electric Picnic – 29–31 August The action kicks off this weekend at Forbidden Fruit 2025, where 2FM returns with its renowned 2FM Rising Stage, showcasing a massive lineup of emerging Irish talent. Expect high-energy live broadcasts from 12–6pm each day. Demi Isaac and Mikey O'Reilly will get the party started each day at 12pm, followed by Emma Power and Graham Smyth live from 3pm, keeping the vibes going into the evening. Helen Galgey and Benny Bracken, 2FM's roving reporters, will be on the ground all weekend, capturing backstage moments, surprise encounters, and festival fun. Performing live on the 2FM Rising Stage will be standout acts including Shiv, DJ Wax, Dave Treacy, MOIO, Pastiche, Bold Love and more — a lineup not to be missed. Next up, 2FM heads to the scenic surroundings of Glendalough for Beyond the Pale. Tune in on Friday, 13 June, where Tracy Clifford will be kicking things off from 12pm featuring more music, interviews, and festival highlights. The summer tour continues with a live presence at All Together Now in Waterford, before culminating at Electric Picnic in Stradbally — where 2FM will once again be at the heart of the action. More details on the full broadcast schedule for All Together Now and Electric Picnic will be revealed later in the summer. RTÉ 2FM is the most popular radio station in the country for 15 to 34-year-olds with a share of 11.3%. Stay tuned to 2FM all summer long for live music, exclusive interviews, and the best of Irish festival culture. ENDS Date: 29 May 2025 RTÉ Communications: Caoilinn Putti Notes to Editor: Forbidden Fruit 2FM Rising Stage – Schedule Saturday – 31 May Sweetlemondae Essiray Bold Love Celaviedmai Fortune Igiebor MOIO Dj Wax Sun – 1 June Annie Dog Negro Impacto F3MIII Cliffords Shiv Pastiche Dave Treacy
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
2FM go live at major music festivals across summer 2025
This summer, 2FM is taking the show on the road, broadcasting live from some of Ireland's biggest and best music festivals, starting with Forbidden Fruit this June Bank Holiday weekend. From Kilmainham to Glendalough, Waterford to Stradbally, 2FM will be bringing listeners across the country right into the heart of the action, with live shows, incredible music, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access. The 2FM Summer Festival Tour includes: Forbidden Fruit – 31 May and 1 June Beyond The Pale – 13–15 June All Together Now – 31 July–3 August E lectric Picnic – 29–31 August It all kicks off at Forbidden Fruit 2025, where 2FM returns with its legendary 2FM Rising Stage, spotlighting a stellar lineup of emerging Irish artists. Expect non-stop energy with live broadcasts from 12–6pm each day. Getting the party started from 12pm are Demi Isaac and Mikey O'Reilly, followed by Emma Power and Graham Smyth from 3pm, keeping the vibes alive into the evening. Meanwhile, festival roving reporters Helen Galgey and Benny Bracken will be on the ground capturing exclusive backstage moments, surprise encounters, and all the festival fun. Catch rising stars like Shiv, DJ Wax, MOIO, Pastiche, Bold Love, and more performing live on the 2FM Rising Stage. Next stop: the stunning landscapes of Glendalough for Beyond the Pale, where the festivities continue. Tune in Friday, 13 June, as Tracy Clifford kicks off the broadcast at 12pm, bringing listeners more live music, artist interviews, and festival highlights. The summer tour rolls on to All Together Now in Waterford, before wrapping up in spectacular style at Electric Picnic in Stradbally. Stay tuned for full broadcast schedules for All Together Now and Electric Picnic coming later this summer.
