This week, some 80,000 people will descend on Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Co Laois, for three days packed with music, comedy, talks and dancing. Whether you are a seasoned festivalgoer or a newbie – here is everything you need to know before heading to Ireland’s biggest music festival.Who is playing and when?This year’s headliners include Lewis Capaldi, Fontaines DC, CMAT and Gorillaz, representing a healthy mix of Irish and international talent. Other acts to catch include Van Morrison who will deal a rare performance and Irish folk rockers The Saw Doctors who are likely to attract a huge crowd of Mayo fans for the summer that’s in it. American star Sombr, Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson and American rock band Geese will be playing over the weekend too. Main stage times are listed below, but you can check out the full list of the weekend’s stage times here. Main Stage Friday10.45pm-midnight Lewis Capaldi9-10pm Sombr7.30-8.30pm Zara Larsson6-7pm JadeMain Stage Saturday11.05pm-0.35am Gorillaz9-10.15pm CMAT7.15-8.15pm The Mary Wallopers5.30-6.30pm Role Model2-3pm City Stages ft Tinie TempahMain Stage Sunday10.30pm-midnight Fontaines DC8.30-9.45pm Amble7-8pm Djo5.30-6.30pm The Saw Doctors4-5pm Van Morrison2.45-3.30pm James Marriott1-2pm RTÉ Céili MórWhen does it all start and finish?Things kick off from 2pm on Thursday, August 27th, at Stradbally Hall, Co Laois, when early entry ticket holders can access the venue.The festival itself will take place from Friday, August 28th, to Sunday, August 30th. What’s the camping like?Electric Picnic site map 2026 That will vary massively from campsite to campsite. Certain campsites are free to all ticket holders, others require pre-booking at no extra cost, while Pinkmoon glampers will be staying in their ivory tepees, which require the purchase of ticket upgrades ranging from €330-€1,975.The campsites which require pre-booking at no extra cost are Irish speaking campsite An Ghaeltacht; the Eco campsite; LGBTQ+ campsite Glitterball; and the Poets campsite which is for quiet campers and wellness seekers.[ Electric Picnic 2026: 19 acts you don’t want to miss at this year’s festivalOpens in new window ]The remaining campsites do not require a pre-booked ticket, and you can gain access with your weekend camping ticket. These campsites are Jimi Hendrix, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, Andy Warhol, Charlie Chaplin, Ginsberg, Ériu and Janis Joplin.Will we be fed, watered and showered?There will be an abundance of food trucks at the festival as well as free drinking water points next to the toilet blocks across the campsites and arena.There will also be showers on site.Can I charge my phone?Mobile phone company Three Ireland will be providing charging facilities in the late night arena, Jimi Hendrix campsite and the Samuel Beckett campsite.These vending machines will also be available at several Air Hubs (assistance, information and response) across the campsites.What about other valuables?A great rule of thumb for a music festival is to bring as few valuables as possible. You could also consider renting a locker or storage box for the weekend in the Jimi Hendrix campsite. Organisers recommend using them for valuables such as cash, wallets, IDs and cameras. They also point out that the boxes are “perfect for storing larger items, such as alcohol”, because getting back to your tent to discover that somebody’s nabbed your drink could be a real downer.Electric Picnic is a cashless event. All bars, food stalls and other traders will only accept card payment, so make sure to bring your cards or a power bank for your phone if that’s your preferred payment method.How do I get there?Organisers have asked festivalgoers to use public transport or car share. If driving, do not rely on Google Maps or sat-navs as there are road closures and diversions in place around the event site that will affect your route. Instead, keep an eye out for the white event direction signs when you leave the motorway and only use the official signed and staffed routes to Electric Picnic. These routes will be prioritised by An Garda Síochána. By busSeveral bus companies are offering travel to and from the festival:Marathon Coaches will operate hourly services from Connolly Station, bus stop number 5140, from Thursday to Sunday. Return services are also available. Return tickets are currently priced at €45. TravelMaster will be providing nationwide return services to and from the festival arriving August 28th and returning August 30th. Services will be running from 50 drop-off points nationwide. Tickets are priced between €40-€80.By trainPortlaoise is the closest train station to the festival, located about a 20-minute drive away. You can check services on the Irish Rail website. From Portlaoise, Martleys of Portlaoise will be running a shuttle bus between the station and festival site.By carM7 southbound (from Dublin and the north): Exit the M7 at Ballydavis interchange junction 16 and follow event traffic signage and gardaí on duty for directions to designated parking areas.M7 northbound (Limerick and the southwest): Continue on the M7 and exit at junction 17, then follow event traffic signage and gardaí on duty for directions to designated parking areas.M8 northbound (Cork and south): Exit the M8 at junction 3 for Ballacolla and Abbeyleix, after that follow event traffic signage and directions from gardaí.N80 Carlow and southeast: Travel along the N80 and N78 to Simmons Mills and proceed via the Windy Gap into Stradbally. Turn left at Court Square (opposite Dunne’s pub) on to the Timahoe Road and turn left into the designated car park.N80 west: Proceed via Mountmellick and on to Portlaoise town. At Fairgreen roundabout turn right on to the ring road. Continue to Mountrath Road R445 and turn right. Continue to Rockdale roundabout and turn left on to the ring road L26964-0. Turn right at the roundabout on to the N77 to Meelick junction where the traffic route merges with event traffic from the M7 northbound and Limerick southwest.If you have a family weekend ticket or early-entry pass: The festival website has additional route details.If you’re dropping people off or picking them up: The pick-up and drop-off point (Pudo) is located off the N80. Pedestrian access into the site is via the Pudo gate. This is in the same location as in previous years and can be used by parents, friends, taxis and registered mini buses/coaches.By camper van: Campervan access opens from 4pm on Thursday, August 15th. You can find route details on the EP website here.By helicopter: Ah, now.What’s the weather forecast like?A bit touch and go. Met Éireann is forecasting plenty of light showers, lows of 12 degrees with highs of 21 degrees and rain for most of Sunday. Friday will see showers from 10am to 7pm, and highs of 20 degrees.On Saturday there’s a 50/50 chance of rain from 7am into the late afternoon and highs of 19 degrees. Sunday will be the coldest and wettest day with highs of 17 degrees and rain forecast from 1pm-7pm. Are there any tickets left?Nope, they are long sold out, but the best way to avoid scams from dubious ticket resellers is to look for verified resale tickets on Ticketmaster ticket exchange. Can I vape? Yes, if it is a refillable vape, as disposable vapes have been banned due to their impact on the environment. Smoking and vaping is not permitted in enclosed spaces, this includes any indoor stages, tents and marquees.Is there anything else I can’t bring? Quite a lot actually. A full list of the festival’s contraband can be found here. It includes drones, selfie sticks, lasers and candles. How much alcohol can I bring?Campers are allowed to bring up to 48 cans of beer or two bottles of decanted wine or one bottle of decanted spirits per person. What’s the age policy?Electric Picnic is strictly an over-18s event, but children aged 12 and under can attend when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult and no extra ticket is necessary. The organisers have recommended bringing ID for each child – a colour photocopy of their passport should suffice.