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Electric Picnic 2026: Biblical rain, dancing families, surprise acts and beloved covers Image: Nick Bradshaw / The Irish Times
🇮🇪 Ireland /Culture & Society

Electric Picnic 2026: Biblical rain, dancing families, surprise acts and beloved covers

From Irish Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Heavy rain tested the 80,000-strong crowd at Electric Picnic in Stradbally, but festivalgoers continued attending performances across the three-day event.
  • Surprise appearances and cover versions included Lola Young, CMAT performing “Jolene,” and sombr singing The Cranberries’ “Zombie.”
  • The Saw Doctors brought Mayo’s All-Ireland-winning football team on stage for “The Green and Red of Mayo.”

The rain arrived with such force that two festivalgoers seeking refuge in a canvas-covered pizzeria found themselves questioning whether it was a restaurant or a spa. Water pushed through the shelter at an angle while the women, wearing plastic ponchos, tried to keep their spirits up.

That scene captured the weekend at Electric Picnic, where soaked boots, wet faces and ruined blow-dries became part of the experience for an 80,000-strong crowd. The festival ran for three days, with early arrivals staying for a fourth, and the weather did not persuade people to abandon the event.

Kyla Cobbler, who played the Electric Arena on Saturday, described the attitude on Instagram: “That’s what life’s about. Just being uncomfortable and not giving a f**k because you want to have a good time. I’m weirdly proud.” The festival’s difficult conditions even supplied a source of amusement for people at home, who watched the downpours with what the piece calls festival Schadenfreude.

Performers supplied their own bursts of brightness. Zara Larsson sang happy birthday to a young fan named Lucy Mae, her sister and cousin, and drew a blue dolphin on her T-shirt. Lola Young arrived for a surprise set, while sombr and CMAT added covers to their performances. CMAT paid tribute to Dolly Parton with “Jolene,” and sombr delivered a surprising version of The Cranberries’ “Zombie” alongside Noel and Mike Hogan.

The weekend ended with a particularly local celebration. The Saw Doctors played to a huge Sunday crowd and brought Mayo’s All-Ireland-winning footballers onto the stage for “The Green and Red of Mayo.” Alongside the music and communal energy, the festival director defended decisions taken over crowd control, saying organisers cancelled one set rather than risk lives.

That’s what life’s about. Just being uncomfortable and not giving a f**k because you want to have a good time. I’m weirdly proud.

— Kyla CobblerThe performer described festivalgoers’ determination to enjoy Electric Picnic despite the heavy rain.
About this summary

Originally published by Irish Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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