Arcade Fire return to top bill at Picnic

CANADIAN BAND Arcade Fire and dance duo the Chemical Brothers are among the headline acts for this year’s Electric Picnic.

Although the music and arts festival in Stradbally, Co Laois, did not sell out in advance last year, organisers say they are confident of selling all 32,500 tickets well ahead of this year’s event which will run from September 2nd-4th.

Commenting on the inadvertent announcement of some of the acts on Wednesday – in advance of the official launch yesterday – musical director Declan Forde said the website had been hacked in some way.

“Not all the information released was absolutely correct. All publicity is good publicity I guess, but I’d advise people to look at the official site now for up-to-date information.”

Interpol and Pulp were also among the first bands to be confirmed.

“This is a very strong line-up,” said Mr Forde. “We’re very pleased to have enticed back a number of bands we had been trying to get back for a few years now. Arcade Fire said when they played the picnic in 2005 it was a landmark event for them. They are very excited about coming back.”

The Quebec band have just won Grammy and Brit awards for their third studio album, The Suburbs. Headlining on Saturday night will be British electronica duo the Chemical Brothers with Sheffield indie darlings Pulp closing the proceedings on Sunday night.

Other strong attractions will be PJ Harvey, Jamaican ska-reggae group Toots and the Maytals, 1980s British reggae outfit Big Audio Dynamite, Sinéad O’Connor and Death in Vegas.

Lesser known but with strong followings will be Beirut, Mogwai, Midlake and Micah P Hinson.

Irish acts with loyal fan bases playing the festival will be RSAG, Adebisi Shank, O Emperor, the Cast of Cheers and The Danger Is.

“We’ve announced 44 names,” said Mr Forde, “and will announce more in the coming months as we confirm bands. Of course the picnic is not just about music. What marks it out is the quality of the whole event, the diversity of experiences, the aesthetic environment, the art, the food, the whole experience.”

The festival is known for its comedy tent, theatre, political debate and discussion, children’s entertainment, smaller venues and quality food.

Mr Forde said there would be day tickets available for Sunday only, at €99.50, while weekend tickets will cost €240. Family camping tickets are €480 for two adults and children. Tickets to the camper van park, at €60, tend to sell out fast, he said.

“The days of selling out a festival months in advance are probably gone, but we are confident with this very strong line-up of selling out well in advance. It will be a bigger crowd than last year,” he added. Just over 90 per cent of tickets were sold last year.