Electric Picnic rumble in the courts draws near

The date has been set for the music event of the summer: the case between John Reynolds and Festival Republic Dublin, whose investors include Denis Desmond, over Electric Picnic.

Both sides went to war over the future of the festival last year. The former business partners are still at it, both inside and outside the court. At a hearing this week to set the trial date, FRD’s barrister remarked that Electric Picnic had lost money when Reynolds was artistic director “but made money once he had been sidelined”.

When Reynolds, who was not at the hearing, read the court report the next day he went apoplectic.

"The facts are completely contrary to this," he claimed. "It made operating profits from 2005-11 inclusive. It made a substantial loss of €1.1million in 2012 due to Melvin Benn [of FRD's] decision to spend an additional €650,000 on the artist budget, including €500,000 to The Killers, and other increases in costs."

He claimed Benn had actually previously complimented him on delivering a profit at the Picnic, when other festivals were losing money. It promises to be a most entertaining trial, with both sides already champing at the bit.

May 13th. Bring your wellingtons, it could get messy.