Covid-19: Electric Picnic festival fails to get council licence

Electric Picnic is an Irish arts and music festival which has been staged annually since 2004

A council in the Republic of Ireland has refused a licence for the Electric Picnic music festival this year.

The event was due to take place from 24 - 26 September at Stradbally Hall Estate, County Laois.

Laois County Council said the decision was taken in conjunction with "the most up-to-date public health advice".

The council cited current government guidance in relation to "events of this nature being restricted to an attendance of 500 people only".

Electric Picnic is an arts and music festival which has been staged annually since 2004.

Some music events in Northern Ireland have stipulated that those wishing to attend must show proof of Covid antibodies, vaccination or a negative test.

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Speaking to RTÉ, the Cathaoirleach (chairperson) of Laois County Council said their decision was taken on the basis of public health advice from the country's Health Service Executive (HSE).

Councillor Conor Bergin told the Irish broadcaster that the advice from the HSE "was unambiguous".

"This was a very difficult decision for council to make and I'm sure it will be disappointing to thousands of music fans and the live music industry," he said.

"However, in the current climate it's the lack of certainty over Covid.

"We'd all love to see it go ahead but, with no certainty it's very hard," the Fine Gael councillor added.

Fianna Fáil's Paschal McEvoy said hosting the festival would have been "madness", and believed there would have been "too many [people], too soon".

However, Melvin Benn, who is a director of the festival, said he is "100% fully expecting the Electric Picnic to be going ahead on the basis (that) 100% nobody has told me I won't be able to".

Last week, festival organisers wrote to Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin and government officials over how events, including Electric Picnic, could feasibly go ahead later this year.

The letter proposed that Electric Picnic could go ahead in September with enhanced safety protocols in place.