THE ORGANISERS OF Electric Picnic have confirmed that the 2021 festival has been cancelled.

The music and arts festival was rescheduled to take place in late September but Laois County Council refused to grant a licence for the event at the beginning of August.

“As many of you are aware, we asked Laois County Council to reverse the decision on EP being cancelled this year. Unfortunately, they have not yet done so and we now run out of time. Regrettably, we have no other choice but to cancel this year’s edition,” the statement reads.

We would not be able to do the festival justice this close to show day, and it would be unfair to ask ticket holders who have stood by us throughout this pandemic to come to EP and not get the full experience that they are used to and deserve.

The cancellation comes despite the easing of restrictions announced yesterday that will allow live events to go ahead, albeit with reduced capacity, during September.

It is the second consecutive year that the event will not take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The festival also provided an update on what people can do with their tickets.

“We will be offering all ticket holders an option of a full refund, including booking fees, please contact Ticketmaster directly and they will process your refund as soon as possible. Please contact them within the next 30 days.

“If you prefer, you can retain your ticket and carry it over to next year. If you choose this option instead of a refund, you do not need to do anything, just hold onto your ticket,” the statement added.

The organisers added that the 2022 edition of the festival will take place on 2-4 September.