EP organisers planning even bigger festival for 2019 as final night gets underway at Stradbally
Electric Picnic may be drawing to a close tonight with the last acts take to the stage but fear not as organisers are already planning an even bigger festival for 2019.
George Ezra, The Prodigy and Picture This are yet to grace the main stage in Stradbally before the festival, which saw over 300 acts perform in total, comes to an end.
Then it's time to pack up what's left of the tent that you promised your father you wouldn't destroy when borrowing, the significantly emptier backpack after the consumption of tinned food and cans, and the remainder of your dignity that is still intact, leaving behind that stale whiff of baby wipes and sweat that has been following you for the last three days.
Revellers have already taken to social media to describe the weekend's shenanigans as one of the best of their lives and we don't blame them given a line-up which included Dua Lipa, Kendrick Lamar, N.E.R.D, Nile Rodgers and Chic, Picture This, The Coronas and Walking On Cars.
Even The Young Offenders fans were in for a treat with The Frank And Walters' performance of After All.
@YoungOffenders_ Looks like Electric Picnic 2018 appreciated the special guest of the Frank and Walters pic.twitter.com/4xQuNrSGbe
— Ciaran Conroy (@conniecc1) September 1, 2018
A special duet from Hozier and the legendary Mavis Staples on the Main Stage was one of the highlights of the weekend, along with an emotional performance from Sigrid at Other Voices.
Dua Lipa possibly drew the largest crowd to the main stage, with music fans stretching as far back as the seats which is an estimated 50,000 people.
The main stage at #ElectricPicnic18 tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MJoyhbiwFX
— Aerial.ie (@aerial_ie) September 1, 2018
And that's just the musicians.
The weekend was also packed with comedy, spoken word, poetry, arts and crafts and even yoga. Little Picnic also proved a massive hit with the many families.
On in twenty in the comedy tent #electricpicnic pic.twitter.com/RMZiGuTikY
— Alison Spittle (@AlisonSpittle) September 2, 2018
Electric Picnic organisers didn't forget that they shared an all-important weekend with that of the All-Ireland Football final between Dublin and Tyrone and held a live outdoor screening of the match which supporters attended in big numbers.
Up The Dubs @Keywest_Kav @EPfestival @HeyLauraJean #UpTheDubs #Dubin #ElectricPicnic pic.twitter.com/XfAunAiqZA
— David Gilna (@irishplaywright) September 2, 2018
And while our hearts are heavy as we pack up for another year, exciting plans have already been discussed as tickets for next year's festival go on sale next week.
There will be an increase of 2,500 in the festival's capacity which means brand new areas on the Stradbally site.
Festival Director Melvin Benn announced some new plans for the festival.
He said that he wants to continue to bring incredible culture and value to the Picnic, which reminded us of the 'awe' moment we took when we came across the below tweet.
Said culture and value is the reason "we've got Seamus Heaney poems going on in Mindfield, why we’ve got an Irish language day and an all-female comedy night in Hazel Wood and the incredible Kendrick Lamar in Stradbally."
"I’m overwhelmed about how good the picnic has been and incredibly enthused about the future. I am going to open up more space and incorporate another field into the arena; thankfully the estate has all the space that we need.”
