Returning to Electric Picnic: Embracing the Field of Creativity and Joy

Back at the Picnic After 7 Years!

Wow, I can hardly believe it’s been at least seven years since I’ve wandered the dusty, grass-stained wonderland of Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Co. Laois. This year, though? I’m on the artist list, living in a field filled with dazzling creators and wild-spirited, festival-fulfilled goers. Pure joy!

And Theatre Workshop with Yvonne Coughlan is on the official app artist line up. yvonnecoughlan.com

The 2025 lineup is absolutely stacked: from headliners like Hozier, Chappell Roan, and Kings of Leon to show-stealing sets by Nile Rodgers & Chic, Becky Hill, David Gray, Mundy, and even a special reunion of Noel & Mike Hogan (The Cranberries) with the RTÉ Orchestra.

Don't even get me started on the Irish talent: Kneecap’s main stage turn is set to be electric (pun intended), The Saw Doctors, The Coronas, Bell X1, Cian Finn, Lady Fi, Aerga, Jinx Lennon, The Love Buzz, Bubba Shakespeare, The Underscore Orkestra, Ciara Lawless, Emma Lohan, and so many, many, many more make this lineup feel like a love letter to homegrown artistry. And then there's comedy... can't wait to see Jarlath Regan live and in person. Plus, such a constellation of DJ alchemists and artist's from Fatboy Slim to Jazzy to Barry Can't Swim, to Gwada Mike to Pedro Ahnuc who might just spin me into another world entirely, or inspire me to whirl my sparkly socks off... at Electric Arena or Terminus or Berlinhaus. Or will I get lost down the rabbit hole, the glorious fog of my best EP stories, the legend that is The Salty Dog! (No question mark there.) Then there's all the theatre, and art, and food theatre, and greencrafts, and that's before I go anywhere near my spiritual homeland, the place of dangerous inspiration for my next epic participatory performance project, Mindfield! Plus I'll have to confess Mother After Dark about how much time I spent randomly singing in the Trailer Park, and Trenchtown before I came home to you, now that you have been created just for me. And last, but never least, allow me the indulgence of naming in full: Fish Town & The Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow. To abbreviate it would be a crime against poetry, for it is not merely a tent, nor a stage, but a realm unto itself. The last time I wandered these fields it was simply the Jerry Fish Tent, already a place of marvels, but now it has blossomed into a kingdom, a carnival, a fever-dream dressed in sequins and song. And as for Sir Fish himself, I adore that man, not just for his music, though that alone could steal your soul, but for the sheer audacity of his vision, the way he spins whole worlds from nothing but canvas and grass. He reaches out with genuine warmth, even while reigning supreme over his kingdom, treating us mere mortals as equals, as friends. He is a joy to behold! How now! I am a seasoned lady; one does not fawn and bow... usually.

On-The-Ground Theatre Magic-My Picnic Invitation to you!

Here it is, the moment that tickles my imagination pink: I’ll be leading a theatre workshop in the open fields of Serenity Gardens, Croí area on Saturday, August 30, from 11:30 am to 1 pm. Think art, spontaneity, and a handful of daring festival-goers. This is real life, folks: before you know it, you’ll be performing for an unsuspecting audience under the Irish sky. The ordinary becomes magical, we step into the unscripted, creating fleeting stories, moments that belong only to this field, this hour, this Electric Picnic.

It’s a creative experiment in arts participation; me, a handful of enthusiasts, the elements, and devised theatre life unfolding in a field that’s holding 80,000 festival souls. Compared to my last website update for the Lord Mayor’s Gala Christmas Concert at City Hall, this Electric Picnic performance may be a tad less formal, but it is no less deeply satisfying.

Oh, and just when you think I'm done, surprise! I’m also MCing the Serenity Gardens stage on Sunday, from 11:30 am to 7:30 pm. So if you feel like bringing your own spark, pop by for five minutes of impromptu fun between sets. Let’s make the stage our playground.

What Makes It So Electric?

What was it that made Electric Picnic so unforgettable in the past? For me, it was those spontaneous moments of laughter and connection with strangers, the excitement of discovering an unexpected performance or the art installations that spark the imagination. I can't wait to lose myself in the moment, dance like a lunatic, hang out with my friends especially the amazing Daithí Neavyn and Fiona Tierney who are organising Serenity Gardens, the site that is set to bring me a whole life full of experiences in one glittering weekend, and where I will no doubt bond with fellow festival-goers over the late night fireside sing song. This will be back at home base in Serenity Gardens when some kinship and real connection is called for by my soul, in this rocking town of 80,000 people. My hometown of Kinsale has less than 6000, so the magnitude of picnic is not lost on me.

As I gear up for this magnificent adventure, I’m embracing the full realisation of being part of something much larger than myself. Buckle up, everyone! The countdown to Electric Picnic is on, only one more sleep, and I'm ready to dive headfirst into this lively field of inspiration and unforgettable memories!

What Makes This Year So Electric?

• Insane 2025 lineup Headliners like Hozier, Sam Fender, Kings of Leon, and more, they’re drawing 80,000 of us to this field.

• Theatre workshop in the wild Live theatre, immersive, interactive, happening in the elements, with real people.

• MC’ing a stage on Sunday Bringing vibes, banter, and connection between sets, your moment to shine is welcome.

Seriously, this feels like a full-circle moment: exchanging velvet-draped halls for open skies. Days filled with music, nights lighting up with communal energy, and morning theatre born from spontaneity. If you're there, and brave, or at least willing to trust me, I won't let you down, come make some art in a field with me, come rain or shine (and it looks like rain at the moment, but I believe in magic.)

Electric Picnic 2025, turning a field into a stage of shared stories, laughter, and wild creativity.

Opening the Serenity Gardens Stage Fri 6.30pm... Lady Fi

I'm on the 2025 Electric Picnic Artist's Index, gotta love it. So I do. While I have your attention, in other news I signed my UCC lecturing contract today, me a university lecturer, now apparently some people think that is a good idea. And in other news my award winning script Regret is being made into a film... directed by me, and supported by a team of amazing producers.I truly believe it will be the only Regret I ever have in life, and I mean that quite literally. Finally, I will stop after this one, I am off to Sorrento, Italy in October to produce a film about the architectural genius Gio Ponti. And yes, there are more news stories always, but I really need to stop writing, and go pack my tent and things that will be useful in the rain, like hipflasks of whiskey... Ciao!

I had to pull a few of my favourites off the Electric Picnic app for this blog..

And sure if I didn't include myself what kind of a marketing blogger would I be...