At the end of August, the peaceful grounds of Stradbally, County Laois, will once again take on a different character. From 28 to 30 August 2026, Electric Picnic returns to Stradbally Hall with its vast stages, art installations, tents and tens of thousands of festival-goers. Regarded as Ireland’s largest music and arts festival, the event has become, in just over 20 years, one of the defining rituals of the Irish late summer.
And the 2026 edition is shaping up to be particularly ambitious. Gorillaz, Fontaines D.C., CMAT, Zara Larsson, Skepta, Sombr, Wolf Alice and The Mary Wallopers are among the acts on a line-up that brings together international stars and Irish artists. Tickets were snapped up, too: Electric Picnic announced that the 2026 edition had sold out just minutes after general sale opened.
Electric Picnic will take place from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August 2026 on the grounds of Stradbally Hall, near the village of Stradbally. The setting is central to the festival’s identity: for a few days, the estate’s fields, woods and gardens become a vast space dedicated to music and the arts.
The festival is not simply a succession of concerts. Theatre, comedy, art installations, performances, food, wellbeing spaces, traditional music and alternative stages all form part of the programme. This diversity partly explains why Electric Picnic now holds a distinctive place in Ireland’s cultural calendar.
The event has grown considerably in recent years. The previous edition welcomed around 80,000 festival-goers, confirming Electric Picnic’s status as one of the island’s largest music gatherings.
The 2026 line-up has a strong international dimension while giving Irish acts a prominent place. Gorillaz are set to take over the main stage on Saturday. It will be the group’s first appearance at Electric Picnic.
Sunday evening will have a very different flavour with Fontaines D.C.. The Dublin-formed group has been chosen for the festival’s prestigious closing slot. It is a symbolic recognition for an Irish band that has become, in just a few years, one of the leading names in international rock.
CMAT, another key figure on Ireland’s new music scene, will also appear. The first wave of artists also included Sombr, Zara Larsson, Skepta, Wunderhorse, Role Model and Geese.
More than 40 new names were subsequently added to the bill, including Djo, JADE, Wolf Alice, Loyle Carner, Ravyn Lenae, Duke Dumont and Ben Hemsley. Irish acts at Electric Picnic will include The Mary Wallopers, The Saw Doctors, Florence Road and Cliffords.
Fans of electronic music will also find the Terminus area, featuring Interplanetary Criminal, MALUGI, X Club, CamrinWatsin, DART, Effy and Faster Horses, among others.
Part of the appeal of Electric Picnic lies in leaving the main stages behind. Over the weekend, the Stradbally estate is home to a host of different worlds where concerts, performances, visual arts and shows intersect.
The Comedy Arena is one of the festival’s institutions. In 2026, it will open on Friday evening for the first time, with a session scheduled from 6 pm to 10 pm and Irish comedian Deirdre O’Kane headlining.
Traditional Irish culture has not been overlooked. The Croí area combines music, workshops and wellbeing activities, while the Trad Tent puts traditional music back at the heart of the celebrations. Artists including Donal Lunny, Eleanor McEvoy, Máirtín O’Connor and Denise Chaila are among those announced across the festival’s various programmes.
Electric Picnic retains the hybrid identity that has contributed so much to its success: you can watch a huge concert in front of tens of thousands of people, then find yourself a few minutes later at a small stage hidden among the trees.
For holders of a standard Weekend Camping ticket, the general campsites open at 9 am on Friday 28 August. Those with an Early Entry ticket can access the campsites from 2 pm on Thursday 27 August.
On Thursday, late-night entertainment is planned in the wooded areas between 6 pm and midnight.
On Friday 28 August, the Main Arena is open from 2 pm to midnight, while the Late Night Arena operates from noon to 4 am.
On Saturday 29 August, the Main Arena is scheduled from 11 am to 2 am and the Late Night Arena from 10 am to 4 am.
On Sunday 30 August, the Main Arena is due to open from 11 am to midnight, while the Late Night Arena remains open from 10 am to 4 am.
These times have been provided by the organisers but remain subject to change. Exact concert times may also change in the run-up to the festival.
The Weekend Camping ticket gives access to the festival and standard campsites across all three days, 28, 29 and 30 August 2026.
Ticketmaster lists the General Admission Tier 3 price at €325.50 per person. For reference, the Family Weekend Camping Tier 2 was sold at €310.50. The various sales phases and loyalty scheme mean that not all festival-goers will necessarily have paid the same price.
Electric Picnic currently states that 2026 tickets are sold out. The event was declared sold out just minutes after general sale opened on 3 September 2025.
The organisers stress that Ticketmaster is the only authorised official seller. They strongly advise against buying tickets offered on unauthorised resale platforms, social media or third-party websites, as their authenticity cannot be guaranteed.
Access to the standard campsites is included with Weekend Camping tickets. Several areas have easily recognisable names, including Jimi Hendrix, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, Andy Warhol, Charlie Chaplin, Ginsberg, Ériu and Janis Joplin.
Electric Picnic also offers campsites that can be booked in advance by Weekend Camping ticket holders. Some favour peace and quiet or wellbeing, while others offer a more festive or community-focused atmosphere.
Campers must comply with the festival’s rules on permitted equipment. Free drinking water points are available in the campsites and arena, particularly near the toilets. Bars, food stalls and shops on site are also cashless.
Electric Picnic is primarily for people aged 18 and over. An exception applies to children aged 12 and under, who may attend when accompanied by a parent or guardian holding the appropriate ticket.
However, teenagers aged 13 to 17 are not permitted, even when accompanied by an adult. Photographic identification may be requested at the entrance and during the festival.
Electric Picnic takes place at Stradbally Hall, Stradbally, County Laois, in the heart of the Irish Midlands. During the festival, traffic around Stradbally is significantly altered, and several roads may be closed or diverted.
The organisers therefore recommend following temporary signage and Garda directions rather than relying solely on GPS when approaching the site. They also encourage festival-goers to use public transport or car-share.
Electric Picnic is now far more than another date in the European festival season. For three days, Stradbally becomes a kind of temporary town where international pop, Irish rock, electronic music, traditional music, comedy, food and artistic creations coexist.
The 2026 line-up illustrates this evolution particularly well. Seeing Fontaines D.C. close the festival just a few years after the group’s beginnings on the Dublin scene also says something about Ireland’s current cultural energy.
Just days before the return to school, Electric Picnic gives summer one final burst of brilliance: three days when the meadows of County Laois become one of the liveliest places on the entire island.
Essential information to help you plan your visit, including key landmarks, access information, and booking options.
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