Local disquiet as IFA calls on Electric Picnic to revisit 2024 festival dates

Farmers will be unable to harvest grain in and around the tillage heartland of Stradbally if the Electric Picnic takes place in mid August.

That was the message from the Irish Farmers Association(IFA) as they asked Electric Picnic organisers to revisit their decision to run the festival in Stradbally from August 16 to 24 next year.

IFA County Chair John Fitzpatrick said the dates for the 2024 Electric Picnic need to be revisited. 

“The Electric Picnic has become a huge event and much hard work has gone in over the years to retain the support of the local community. This changing of the dates came out of the blue and it is going to cause huge problems for local farmers,” he said. 

“The dates announced for 2024 - August 16th-18th - are right in the middle of harvest season. To expect that the harvest and the movement of grain can take place with 70,000 people piling into a small rural town is not realistic,” he said. 

“It’s a time where there will be lots farm machinery on the roads at the busiest time of the year in one of the busiest tillage areas in the country,” he said.

“There needs to be serious dialogue to resolve this issue and everything must be on the table,“ added Mr Fitzpatrick.

Managing Director of Festival Republic, Melvin Benn has denied speculation that the festival dates were moved to avoid a clash with a series of sold-out Irish Coldplay concerts which were announced for Croke Park in Dublin on August 29, 30 and September 1, 2, in  2024.

Electric Picnic promoter denies Coldplay reason for early 2024 dates

The Leinster Express has contacted Electric Picnic orgnaisers for a response to the concerns expressed by farmers.