It's being billed as the greatest rock 'n' roll weekend of the year and even the begrudgers will have to agree that when it comes to breadth of musical tastes and major name rock acts Oxegen has it all.
This year promoters MCD have pulled out of the hat an expansive line-up to appeal to most if not all music fans. And if for some curious reason you tire of the music, then there is a range of sidebar events and activities.
With the likes of Arcade Fire, Muse, Kings of Leon and The Killers playing in the distance, a lucky Oxegen punter can play a game of Giant Twister or Campsite Karaoke, or watch costumed performers engage in bouts of juggling, stilt-walking, hula-hooping, unicycling and hat manipulation (and no, we're not sure what that is, either).
If Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol doesn't give you a Grey's Anatomy moment with your Mr or Mrs McDreamy, then perhaps a game of Spin the Bottle or Txt2Flirt will. And if The Gossip don't provide any interesting snippets of I-Don't-Believe-It! items, then the MySpace Summer Daze Bus might just be the place to hang out.
It's a long way from Lisdoonvarna, geographically and aesthetically, that's for sure. Gone are the days when all you got from a music festival was music, chipper vans and a post-event dose of gastroenteritis (mild or otherwise). This year at Oxegen, discerning palates will be able to feast on noodles, burritos, paella, pizza, pasta and gourmet burgers. Vegan and vegetarian options will also be dotted around the festival grounds at Punchestown.
If it's art you're after, then make sure you check out the installation pieces which will be themed by Irish graffiti artists along "rock legends" lines; for laughter then Oxegen's Laughter Lounge featuring, among others, Michael Mee, Joe Rooney, Kevin Gildea and David McSavage will surely do the trick.
Still fed up with the music? Then check out the funfair with its 150ft ferris wheel, the Freak-out Pendulum Ride, the somersaulting Equinox and - in a throwback to traditional values - the dodgems.
Ladies who feel ever so slightly dishevelled after being thrown around in all directions can pay a trip to any of the Powder Room Trailers - fully equipped mobile salons - where they will find mirrors, hairdryers, hair straighteners and a wash-and-blow-dry service. After all this, there might just be a few minutes to listen to the occasional rock band, which, despite all the aforementioned peripheral fripperies, is still the main reason why Oxegen tickets sold out within hours.
Yet the feeling of Oxegen being more than merely a music festival is something that refuses to disappear. Is it a tribal rite of passage - sensory overload bonding with parent-free supervision - where comfort takes precedence? With 24-hour Centra shops making their Oxegen debut, perhaps the answer is yes.
Certainly, MCD have done their best to make sure that last year's post-festival mishaps (burnt out tents, angry customers venting their spleen on its online message board) are a distant memory. But not even MCD can promise sunshine. Or can they?
In overly optimistic anticipation of a sunny weekend, Ambre Solaire employees will be on site to spray your children with sun screen. We predict some people will have a lot of time on their hands. Which is when, presumably, Giant Twister, Campsite Karaoke and hat manipulation will start to make sense.
