Electric Picnic

Festival Guide

Set in the Stradbally Estate in County Laois, Electric Picnic is a truly enchanting event. The site itself bubbles with creativity, offering a whole host of beautifully presented hideaway stages and art installations which lie scattered across the estate's vast acres. It’s an ideal environment to host this year's thoughtfully crafted line-up. Read on to discover who we're most excited about seeing, from rising stars to all-time pop legends.

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    SOAK

    Widely considered to be one of the most exciting young artists in Ireland, dinosaur-loving, skateboard fanatic Bridie Monds-Watson was just 14 when she gained repute for her singer-songwriter abilities. By 16, she had released her debut EP, Trains, and it was followed by a string of successful singles, including ‘Blud’ and ‘Sea Creatures’. The Guardian described her productions as “intricate, ambiguous psychodramas” and, undoubtedly, they do highlight a lyrical depth that betrays her youth. That said, there is an endearing, childlike softness which pervades her debut album. The singer’s mixed bag of influences range from Joni Mitchell to fellow Irish group Best Boy Grip, and her live shows are, quite frankly, unmissable.

    Soak - Before We Forgot How To Dream
    • 16-bit FLAC
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    Grace Jones

    While we may have lost count of the number of times Grace Jones changed outfits during this year’s British Summer Time, we’re in no doubt whatsoever that she utterly rocked the show. At 67, the Jamaica-via-NYC model/actor/singer is showing no signs of slowing down, having wowed the crowds at numerous festivals this summer. The globally renowned pop icon’s musical tastes are as eclectic as her whirlwind lifestyle, spanning reggae (she released a dub version of Hurricane) as well as R&B, via a collaboration with Lil’ Kim. This weekend, expect to see Jones in an array of flamboyant get-ups, performing hits such as ‘La Vie En Rose’ and ‘Pull Up to the Bumper’.


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    Julio Bashmore

    Ensuring there’ll be music for those who’ve brought their dancing shoes, Matthew Walker will be gracing the decks at Stradbelly this year. The Bristol-based producer gained recognition for his anthemic floorfiller ‘Au Seve’, released on his Broadwalk Records imprint. He has been a key figure in the house music revival, alongside fellow UK bass stalwarts Joy Orbison and Mosca, the latter for whom he remixed the track ‘Tilt Shift’. His collaboration-heavy debut album has already enjoyed an excellent reception, with special praise reserved for the smooth summery single ‘Holding on’, featuring vocalist Sam Dew. Good vibes and rolling bass will be in no short supply during his set.

Big names

Don't miss

More from the line-up

  • Villagers

    Interview

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    I grew up feeling like I wasn’t able to be, or express, who I was.

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  • Shamir

    Interview

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    My whole solo career is a freakin’ highlight; this is way past anything that I even dreamed of...

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  • Julio Bashmore

    Interview

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    When musicians say they don’t care what other people think, that’s bullsh*t. People saying nice things about what you’ve created is the best thing in the world.

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