Electric Picnic 2022 - Here we go again! - **No Ticket Sales / Requests **

Fully agree on the recycling and waste points. Some progress but much more to be done. When we can separate our waste at home it's not a great stretch to do so for four days at a festival. Most of this is down to the individual (and inebriation is no excuse) but FR have to play a much greater role in ensuring greater recycling and the removal of tents. It's a lengthy topic (and suitable for discussion on the 2023 thread) but the possibility of a tent tax remains and they can compel Pink Moon to take their tents down for re-use rather than destroy them. Given the option I'd kick out Pink Moon for their waste and treatment of employees, but such a move isn't imminent.

And I generally agree about the lineup still being eclectic but there were some clear missing factors this year. We've lost the traditional Sunday afternoon reggae act (also absent in 2019 and a big loss given the previous appearances of Toots, Jimmy Cliff, Steel Pulse, The Congos, The Wailers, Inner Circle and others), there were no eighties pop acts (we've had at least one per year since 2005) and no significant trad/folk acts (Christy Moore has played twice, Paul Brady, Laura Marliing, Kila, etc) which was a big absence in a year when the reformed Scullion and Stockton's Wing are touring. No metal again (only ever seen one such act at EP) but Naked Lungs sure gave it a blast. There were no African acts (we've previously had Rachid Taha, Baaba Mall and others) and bar a couple of Australian bands plus a smattering of North Americans we had very little outside Ireland and the UK, though Priya Ragu was a great exception. Nothing else from mainland Europe when we've often had a smattering of acts from Germany, Norway, France, Iceland, etc. It all felt a bit homogenously monocultural.

I think that some of this will change for the good next year and 2022 may be seen as a blip in terms of post-lockdown adjustment. However I think the greatest criticism of the lack of eclecticism here is the preponderance of unchallenging, soulless generic pop but that may be a general trend. How did music get to be so bloody safe?

Re. Terminus....

Could they move the entry and exit of Anachronica to the old Oscar Wilde field to create more of a connection to the two of them?

Admittedly, it might change the dynamic of Freetown / Providencia. But splitting the crowd between the 2 might be good if they could get the planning go ahead for later use of Terminus.

The cleaning teams really do a great job.

There is probably still a lot more effort required from some punters, but it is hard to get people to use bins if they are not there or if they are overflowing.

I remember seeing some behind the scenes stuff from Glastonbury where they were processing the waste/recycling on-site and it was pretty impressive.

It is probably one of the things that gets festivals a lot of bad press. They could turn that around with some extra effort.

I think they had this in 2019, but it caused a bottleneck. I remember trying to get through to Anachronica from the bottom of Freetown but they had closed the route and we were redirected around the long way (Eco/Chaplin - Joplin Junction, Warhol/Hendrix).

Remains a mystery as to why they don't have it on earlier/later - I can only guess licensing issues. Seems a huge waste, especially as there's a massive bar there too which wasn't open until Terminus itself opened.

I can only assume that Terminus closes alongside the main stages to ensure it's not a focus for 30k/40k people at 1am. The dance stage that was open later became a problem at Woodstock '99 and Glastonbury struggled with overcrowding in the SE Corner until they moved Arcadia to its current position. The Salty Dog, Rave in the Woods, Body & Soul main stage, Trenchtown and some other small stuff can only take a certain number of people. It wouldn't currently be safe to have it open at 2am and thus they need more stuff to distract people in the main arena til 2am. Main stage dance acts on Fri and Sat would be a good start.

Sounds great. I was looking at the route completely on the canal path to Vicarstown before. I would love to do it, but I'm not sure if I could force myself to pack light enough for the weekend though.

I went as far as Robertstown a few months ago and the unpaved sections are hard. Must push myself a bit further the next time.

For anyone interested Fire in Cairo, Cure cover band, are playing a few gigs in October

Oct 14th Ruby Rooms - Castlebar w/These Charming Men

Oct 21st Fibber Magees - Dublin

Oct 28th Set Theatre - Kilkenny

Oct 31st Crane Lane - Cork

Have never seen them but might hit the fibbers gig

Lack of cards could be a wifi issue, not taking cash might just be a case of convenience. Sounds like an awkward thing to manage. Saw a few images of people at vantastaval, looks like they have great weather for it today.

I’ve used tokens at Primavera Sound and BST in Hyde Park. A mess in both cases and the festivals gave up on them. Queues for tokens (you’ve kind of avoided that but will still have to queue to receive them) and you either end up with too many or too few. The unnecessary queuing will frustrate many but it may not have a heavy drinking contingent so that may help. Hope you enjoy it.

I would love there to be Guinness there but not expecting it. I will only ask for OT if nothing else drinkable

Ye saw that

Vantastival was class! Free flow too!

It's a great wee festival. Weather was very kind this year. Portaloos were pristine!

I have my tickets for next year for Stendhal already!