Anticipation builds in Stradbally ahead of Electric Picnic 2026

Excitement is building in Stradbally as the final touches are being put on the festival ahead of the Electric Picnic 2026 weekend.

As a steady trickle of camper vans and caravans made their way to campsites in Stradbally on Wednesday afternoon, the town was a hive of activity with yellow bibbed workers, Gardaí and contractors preparing the town and site for the 80,000 daily festival goers who are expected to begin arriving in earnest this Thursday.

Ann Simpson was working away at the till in Simpson’s Gala on the Main Street selling nicotine products to some of the UK workers who have been on site preparing for the festival.

“The poor English people get a fright when they see the price,” she said of the nicotine products. Nicotine, minerals and food are the top selling items in the store and Ann expects to be busy all weekend.

She said there was a great atmosphere in the town ahead of the festival. “The build up is always very exciting.” Although she’ll be busy working during the festival this year, Ann said it’s very impressive event which is really beneficial for Stradbally.

“Melvin Benn is generous to the town. If there is a project going on he will always give something towards it. Outside of the town people don’t know that,” she said.

Further up Stradbally’s Main Street, staff at Ramsbottoms Bar are busy keeping customers and festival workers refreshed while DJ Will Softly, of Electric Picnic’s Treasure Beach, is getting ready to play his DJ set in a large area at the back of the pub.

Ramsbottoms’ Keelin O’Reilly said the workers initially began arriving after the National Steam Rally took place on the August Bank Holiday weekend but much larger numbers of additional workers arrived last Sunday.

Many workers were relaxing in the pub and at the rear of the premises which opens up to big event space, DJ Softly is setting up. There are portaloos and temporary urinals at the very back of the premises where kegs are also stacked in preparation for the weekend ahead.

“That’s only the start of it. There’s a lot more in the store room as well,” Keelin revealed.

“It is weather dependent. If it is really, really wet up there they all come down here. If it’s fine they just breeze in and out as the day goes on,” she said.

She said the pub had been busy all week with local bands performing. “Tonight they(Festival workers) just have their own. They booked that themselves.., he’s a DJ from the Picnic,” she explained.

“I am really doing it for the love of the music and the love of the community the Electric Picnic is. And obviously a lot of the people at it I maybe only see once a year and I am going for twenty years,” said DJ Will Softly, who said he would finish his set with some Dolly Parton in honour of the late country star who died on Tuesday.

At the Supervalu on Main Street, Pat Haydon was serving customers as the shop did a steady trade. He said nicotine and alcohol were the big sellers and the locally produced Ballykilcavan craft beer “is going very well” with customers. He said the shop will be open until 10pm over the weekend and it has been stocked up to meet demand.

Meanwhile, Carmel Farrell was coordinating a small army of local volunteers who will be working at the Lost and Found and the Electric Picnic Air Hubs.

“I have about 130 volunteers at the Picnic this year,” she said. She said each of the volunteers will have a morning, afternoon and evening shift to carry out over the festival weekend.

“There are 16 AIR Hubs this year and there are two enhanced Air Hubs,” Carmel said.

AIR stands for Assistance, Information and Response and the Hubs are set up with local community groups and charities to look after the welfare of festival attendees.

Carmel said the community helps with volunteers and then the festival provides support to good causes in the area.

“Since we started doing it in 2013 we have raised just about €110,000 for charities which is a massive boost for charities in the area,” said Carmel.

She was preparing to go into the festival site in order to help get the Lost and Found set up.

“The actual buzz in the town is brilliant to see. I think everyone is excited about it,” she said.

Carmel explained that the volunteers were free to enjoy the festival once their shifts were carried out.