ORGANISERS OF ELECTRIC Picnic have confirmed the festival will not be going ahead this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. 

Festival-goers will have the option of a refund or alternatively carrying their ticket over for Electric Picnic 2021.

The event was scheduled to take place over three days from the 4 to 6 September in Stradbally, Co Laois and this year’s headliners included Lewis Capaldi and Snow Patrol. 

“Cancelling our festival had become unavoidable and we fully support the Irish government’s ongoing measures to help fight the spread of Covid-19 and protect lives at this time,” a statement shared on social media said. 

‘Whilst the entire Electric Picnic team [is] terribly disappointed, we have a responsibility to all our fans, artists, crews, supplies, sponsors, partners, and out entire Electric Picnic family including the wonderful people of Stradbally who have welcomed us into their community each year.

‘Your ticket refund is available from Ticketmaster or other original point of purchase. Please contact them over the next 30 days. If you prefer, for ease, you can retain your ticket and carry it over to next year; you don’t have to do anything.”

The music festival, the biggest of its kind in Ireland, attracts more than 50,000 people every year. 

The possibility of Electric Picnic going ahead was thrown into doubt last month when the Government announced that no licences would be issued for events of over 5,000 people until September at the earliest.

At the time, music festivals including Body&Soul, Indiependence, and All Together Now moved to cancel their events as a result. 

On Friday, organisers of the National Ploughing Championships, due to take place between the 15 and 17 of September, also announced that the event has been cancelled.