In the main arena of Electric Picnic on Saturday morning, weary heads with tent-tousled tresses wander around with vigour. Though the energy and excitement is high, the attire is vastly different from what was seen 10 hours earlier. Gone is the festival fringe and glitter, replaced instead with fluffy pyjamas, jumpers and tracksuit bottoms.
The festivalgoers might be tired from their late night on Friday after Billie Eilish took to the main stage with confetti, fireworks and her inimitable pop-punk persona. But that won’t stop them.
“This better save my soul,” one woman says as she opens up her breakfast bap. Fuel is key when it comes to surviving the weekend.
In Croí, a new section of the festival focusing on wellness, attendees are trying a different method to ensure longevity over the course of the three-days.
“Let’s reset our bodies and rejuvenate,” yoga instructor Maura Rath says. A deep, droning noise is emitted from the speakers in the tent. Relaxing for some, but not for all. “This is what my head was like this morning when the hangover hit,” one woman chuckles to her friend quietly.
Normal People is often touted as the best representation of Irish love. But anyone who has ever attended Electric Picnic knows the real origin of all important Irish relationships: the inflatable chapel.
Louise Byrne (39) has always wanted to get married at Electric Picnic. She recruited the help of her friend Stephen Hennessy, proposing to him in jest on Friday night.
“I just did it with one of my mates, we’re not even going out. It’s a staple of EP and we just wanted to do it,” she says. “When we woke up this morning, we were like ‘we’re getting married today’.”
The theme of love continues at My Lovely Ranch, run by the My Lovely Horse Rescue, where there is a sign for a “smooch a pooch” kissing booth. Though undoubtedly most people who have attended Coppers could argue the booth is not much different from the drunken, slobbery kisses exchanged in the club on an almost nightly basis.
The nearby Trailer Park is an immersive experience with clothes hanging from lines overhead and eclectically decorated trailers scattered throughout the space. It has become renowned for its biting social commentary.
One trailer, named Redneck Telefís Éireann (RTÉ), advertises the Ryan Subsidy Show and the Joe Scruffy Show. Behind that trailer, is the Nun of that Convent, which includes a picture of the “Hot Priest” from Fleabag, played by Irish actor Andrew Scott, and the statement “unless you’re on your knees, God’s not interested”.
Over in Mindfield, conversations abound about the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, particularly following the performance of a segment of a new play – Agreement, by Owen McCafferty.
It was hosted by CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan, who says he will be returning to the “craziness of America” after the weekend. Though, admittedly, he agrees the Stradbally crowd could rival the Americans in this regard.
While the Mindfield area has often serious discussion topics, it doesn’t hamper the drunken tomfoolery. In fact, one topless man decides to scream “yes” before throwing himself headfirst into the nearest wheelie bin.
It seems it’s really true what they say, you never know what you’ll see when you go to Electric Picnic.
