Love Island UK's Iain Stirling among MindField arena stars at this year's Electric Picnic

Electric Picnic attendees may recognise the famous voice behind Love Island UK at Electric Picnic this year. 

Iain Stirling will join his Irish wife, presenter and actress Laura Whitmore, to talk about their true crime obsession and their BBC hit podcast, Murder They Wrote. 

Stirling is just one of the stars confirmed for this year's incredible MindField line-up, with former President Mary McAleese, actor Robert Sheehan, and author Donal Ryan also set to attend. 

The lineup has today (August 1) spoken word arena has just been announced with an inspiring, engaging and entertaining programme of spoken word, interviews, debate, talks, poetry, podcasts and more. 

The Leviathan: Political Cabaret

Electric Picnicers can expect a Changing Times conversation between former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and broadcaster Mary Kennedy, as well as speed debating with Salon du Chat, and the moving and quietly revolutionary Human Library. 

Miriam O’Callaghan will host her annual Picnic Brunch with special guests including Rory O’Neill, writer Vicki Notaro and comedian Colm O’Regan, whileThe Big Housing Debate with Rory Hearne and James Kavanagh will be fascinating listening for house-hunters. 

Africa Rising will be hosted by legendary BBC journalist and broadcaster Fergal Keane, and New-ish to the Parish, hosted by Jennifer O’Connell, looks back at 20 years of new Europeans in Ireland. 

'Ghosts in the Machine: Will AI Kill Culture?' will be hosted by Catherine Sanz, and Paddy Cullivan will present his political satire 'I Can’t Believe It’s Not Ireland'. 

Republic of Ireland footballing hero Niall Quinn tackles Oscar Traynor in Garrison Games, while the History Ireland Hedge School looks at the legacy of Ireland’s Civil War deaths.

There’s also a season of stirring Irish music documentaries: North Circular (2022), While You Live, Shine (2018) and Love Yourself Today (2021) explored and celebrated in a talk with their makers hosted by Derek O’Connor. 

Manifesto

The Manifesto stage will host fascinating, moving conversations and transformative readings with people including celebrated actor Robert Sheehan as he shares insights from his new book Playing Dead with comedian, Dylan Moran.The book is about meditation, his life and the world. 

Poets Jan Brierton and Stephen James Smith share moments of transcendence, while Dublin Old School creator, Emmet Kirwan, returns with a tour-de-force of his distinctive performances ahead of the return of his show next month. 

Master of comic-tragic cringe, Peter McGann, creates Liam Nugent’s Safe Space, while Twice Booker-nominated Donal Ryan shares the language and spirit of rural Ireland in a talk about his dark, witty and technically daring portrait of small-town life in his new novel The Spinning Heart.  

Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick talk girls gone wild in their show Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women, and from Paris comes the brand-new storytelling and music event 'Le Craic' with performances by some very special guests. 

Niamh Mulvey, Maggie Armstrong and Cathy Sweeney talk new Irish writing with Books Editor of The Irish Times, Martin Doyle, while Simon Delaney, Vanessa O’Loughlin and Amanda Cassidy talk Irish crime fiction with Sinead Crowley. 

In Writing Wrongs, female Traveller writers talk about how barriers are being breached by force of the written word, including Anne Marie Quilligan, Helena Power and Emma Ward, with Lois Kapila, editor of the Dublin Enquirer. 

Ah, Hear! Podcast Stage 

The Ah, Hear! Podcast Stage once again brings some of Ireland’s most popular podcasts, across a range of genres, together in one place. In fact, no fewer than four of the country’s most popular top ten podcasts with millions of weekly listeners between them, covering history, politics, sport, lifestyle, culture and comedy, will appear. 

Bang in the middle of an extraordinary US election campaign, Jarlath Regan presents his vital Irishman in America podcast with special guest, Marion McKeone. Writer and podcaster Blindboy Boatclub is in the hot seat himself as he talks to Dermot Whelan on his new Mind Full podcast about meditation, stress and otters. 

In comedy, there’s Cork lads gone foreign, I’m Grand Mam and You Must Be Jokin’ with Eric Lalor and Willa White. The best-in-class history podcast, Three Castles Burning returns, with Donal Fallon talking to Brian Warfield of the Wolfe Tones about the ballad boom and much more, while the Black and Irish podcast looks at modern Ireland. 

The Echo Chamber has guest Zak Hania from Gaza and current affairs covered by The Group Chat with Richard Chambers and Zara King, in addition to The Irish Times Politics Podcast. 

Sports is on and off mic with Off the Ball, while huge hit lifestyle shows include Left on Read with Julie Haynes and Brenda Dennehy, Under the Influencer with Lauren Whelan and Miriam Mullins, Mamia and Me by Aldi with Jen Hogan, How to Gael with Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, Louise Cantillon and Síomha Ní Ruairc, Any News? with Brendan Courtney and David O’Reilly and, finally, the Laois Today Quizcast with local media favourites. 

The Word 

The Word returns to MindField again this year with a jam packed, stuffed-to-the-gills lineup. The most eclectic and busiest little stage of the picnic brings you a collection of top drawer national and international acts, including Glastonbury favourite Polar Bear, who is flying in from The UK to spellbind us with his spoken word set.

The Unbelievable Jon Kenny will be showing us another side of his talents with his poetry and prose, while top spoken word artists such as Juno, the Lymph Nodes, Jimbo and Anna D will have us on the edge of our seats. 

John Cummins will be shackalacking and weaving wonderfully wise words, as will The Poet Geoff, Jan Brierton, David Hynes, Rachel Lally, Emmet O’Brien, Heavy Kevvy and The Glow in the Dark Sharks to name but a few.

Pure power punksters from London, The Ringards, will rock youf socks off on Friday night, alongside Ireland’s Indie rock favourites Adore and the big bold soundscapes of Big Love, to the wind down chill out sounds of I.U.S. and a bit of early jazz and Americana from The Harry Fennell Band. 

Rapper Azerty flies in from Luxembourg to blow our minds on Saturday night after Sick Sister remind us of their misspent youth with their folk-rock electronic sound. Beat Club will be bringing a unique show of fully improvised, make-it-up-on-the-spot displays of serious musicianship, while The Skamm will be giving Marty Mulligan a heart attack with their power packed, post punk performance. 

Flying in from Australia is award-winning folk artist Earnest Aines who takes to the stage alongside "The future of Irish folk", Lorraine Nash. Coming from Hamburg and Berlin are The Angels of Libra, a 10-piece band of funksters who will blow you away with their big brass sound. 

Sunday’s trad sessions will feature the All-Ireland Champion Céilí Band from Mayo, The Piper’s Cross Band, playing alongside one of the longest running trad bands in the country Shaskeen as they celebrate over 50 years on the road.  

Some One’s Sons will be bringing back the ballads, Briars will have everyone up on their feet, while Ruaile Buaile will be manically trad rocking the roof off the place.  

Meanwhile, Zombie will be paying a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to The Cranberries, and the Cronin boys will send everyone home sweating. 

An Puball Gaeilge will run to midnight gach oíche with brilliant talks, theatre, podcasts and music, all as Gaeilge in the Irish language. 

Artists and shows include: Glan do Phláta, TG Lurgan Karaoke na Gaeilge, Seisiún na mBan le Gemma Cox, Rioghna Carrick, Isibeal, Larabell & Filíocht ó  & Róis, TG Leathar, Phorn Droch-Lip-Léite (Badly-Dubbed Porn), Dall, Eric de Buitléir, Conor Connolly, Ronan O'Flatherty & Pádraig Ó Dubhghaill, Callum Agnew, Emma Ní Fhíoruisce, Pearse Mc Loughlin, Colmcille, The Railwayboys, Francis McIlduff, Ciara Maguire & Brendy Quinn, Supercéilí, Na ShanVans, Tinteáin, Ceathrar Sráid Mharlborough, Feart, Brother, Barry Lyons agus Cairde, Ócadún, Tonnta, Burnchurch agus Cleamairí Fhine Gall. 

Electric Picnic 2024 takes place at Stradbally Hall from August 16 to August 18.