'In an ideal world everyone would bring their stuff away' - Electric Picnic landowner
Electric Picnic site owner Thomas Cosby says that the mess left behind on campsites will be largely "gone by Thursday".
Speaking to the Leinster Express at the launch of the National Ploughing Championships next door to his farm, he praised the clean condition that certain campsites were left in.
Asked if he finds it annoying that campers leave their mess behind on his fields, he said it is only certain ones.
"By Thursday, 90% of that will be gone. In an ideal world everyone would bring their stuff away. But, let's face reality. After three or four days of heavy partying, having people in a fit state to pick up their wet damaged gear and bring it home is unlikely.
"A lot of people do, you have to remember that. A huge amount of stuff does go home. The reality is that the campsites closest to the main arena are the ones with the youngest liveliest audience, and they would be the ones probably leaving most behind. But as you go further away, there is much more stuff brought home. The family campsites and eco campsites are left spotless. A portion do leave stuff behind. It is something that does have to be addressed. Nobody has found the ideal solution yet," he said.
The entire site will be vacated in four weeks he said, ready for his flocks of sheep again.
"The sheep are all in the shed, it's costing me a fortune to feed them so they need to get out. We'll get a few small campsites sorted first. The main stock will be back in 10 days time."
Mr Cosby praised the 2022 festival as "excellent".
"The show was excellent. Everyone got in, got out. We got a bit of rain and it slightly upset things. But it's great to have the whole system up and running and working again.
"It brings both an economic boost and a social boost. Everyone comes together and it's entertainment on your doorstep. A lot of people in Laois wouldn't go to it if it was 50 or 100 miles away.
"It is part of the place now so we'll be doing it for another number of years to come," Mr Cosby said.
He gave his reaction to Electric Picnic's plan to expand the numbers further after the next festival in 2023.
"There is room for a small expansion, yes. There's only a certain amount you can fit into the site, but yes after next year, after we iron out a few small issues we can go again," the Laois farmer said.