IF YOU’VE GOT a ticket to Electric Picnic and you’re not already there, you’re either currently on the way to Stradbally or attempting to figure out how three days’ worth of clothes, cans and questionable camping equipment can be carried by a single person.

Electric Picnic officially gets underway in Co Laois from Friday, with tens of thousands of festival goers currently descending on Stradbally for three days of music, comedy and everything in between.

Before any of that, there is the slightly less glamorous business of getting yourself, your tent and your weekend’s supplies through the gates.

Here’s what you need to know.

When can I get in?

The festival officially runs from Friday, 28 August until Sunday, 30 August, although the most eager Picnickers are already arriving.

Early Entry ticket holders have been entering the campsites since 2pm today, while the general campsites open at 9am tomorrow.

There are eight general campsites this year: Jimi Hendrix, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, Andy Warhol, Charlie Chaplin, Ginsberg, Éire and Janis Joplin. They’re colour-coded, which may become more useful information for you in the middle of the night.

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What can I bring?

There are few questions more important before a festival than: how many cans am I actually allowed to bring?

The answer at Electric Picnic is 48 per person into the campsite.

Glass, however, is completely banned across the festival site, including the campsites, so anything normally housed in a glass bottle will need to be swapped to another container before you arrive.

There will be no decanting service at the festival and confiscated bottles will be destroyed.

Disposable barbecues are also banned, as are campfires, air horns, megaphones, drones, candles and incense.

And in perhaps bad news for anyone hoping to remain both dry and fashionable, umbrellas are allowed in the campsite but not in the arena.

Disposable vapes are also prohibited and will be confiscated, although refillable vapes are permitted.

Electric Picnic says it made the decision because of the environmental impact of single-use devices.

The full list of what you can and can’t bring can be found here.

How do I get there?

If you’re driving, Electric Picnic has one important piece of advice: don’t trust Google Maps.

Organisers say road closures and diversions around Stradbally mean navigation apps could send motorists towards closed or unsuitable roads and cause significant delays.

Instead, drivers are being asked to follow the official white event signs and garda-directed routes from the motorway.

“Your GPS will try to take you a different way and cause delays,” the festival warns on its site.

For those sensibly avoiding the task of driving home after three days in a field, buses are running from Dublin and locations across Munster, Connacht and Ulster.

Portlaoise and Portarlington are the nearest train stations, with shuttle buses regularly running from both to the festival site.

Travel info can be found here.

Who should I actually see?

Friday’s Main Stage culminates with Lewis Capaldi at 10.45pm, preceded by Sombr, Zara Larsson and Jade.

Over at the Electric Arena, Wolf Alice take to the stage at 9.15pm before Ben Hemsley closes out the night, while Loyle Carner and JPEGMAFIA are among the highlights at Rankin’s Wood.

On Saturday, Gorillaz headline the Main Stage from 11.05pm, following CMAT, The Mary Wallopers and Role Model.

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Damien Dempsey, Duke Dumont and The Undertones can be found at the Electric Arena, while The Scratch and The Academic are among the acts playing Rankin’s Wood.

Fontaines DC have the job of closing the Main Stage on Sunday night, following Amble and Djo. Earlier in the day, The Saw Doctors and Van Morrison will take to the same stage.

Skepta headlines the Electric Arena on Sunday night, with Mick Flannery also appearing there.

And there is plenty happening away from the biggest stages. The site boasts more than 27 stages, areas and venues, encompassing everything from craft workshops and cooking demonstrations to late-night woodland raves, theatre, holistic therapies and even hot tubs.

Among the spots worth seeking out are Mother After Dark (a late-night party spot hosted by Dublin gay bar Mother), Anachronica (i.e. the rave in the woods), Berlinhaus (a secret underground techno bunker) and a rumoured surprise Guinness spot that we have no details about.

Stage times can be found on the Electric Picnic app.

What if I’ve had enough music?

There is a fairly decent comedy line-up too.

Deirdre O’Kane and Martin Angolo are among those performing on Friday, while Mario Rosenstock, Vittorio Angelone, Enya Martin and David McSavage take to the Comedy Stage on Saturday.

Sunday brings Shane Todd, Mike Rice, Michael Fry, Owen Colgan and Alison Spittle, among others.

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And if three days of noise all become a little much, there’s also the new Barefoot Garden in Croí, where festival goers are invited to take their shoes and socks off and spend some time standing barefoot on the earth.

Most importantly, will it rain?

This being an Irish festival, the answer is: yes, at some point, and it’s worth finding room for rain gear in your bag.

Met Éireann is forecasting an unsettled weekend, although Friday looks like the best bet for decent weather.

Any lingering rain should clear on Friday morning, leaving sunny spells and scattered showers, with temperatures reaching between 18 and 23 degrees nationally.

Rain is expected across much of the country on Saturday morning before gradually clearing eastwards through the morning and early afternoon, with drier and brighter conditions following. Temperatures will range from 16 to 21 degrees.

Attendees pictured in 2022. Rolling News Rolling News

On Sunday, Met Éireann says rain will become widespread and could turn heavy at times, with a chance of thunderstorms. Temperatures will also be a little cooler, reaching between 16 and 19 degrees.

The cans that I brought in are warm. Disaster?

Remarkably, Electric Picnic has thought of this too.

The ‘Cold Can Exchange’ in the Janis Joplin campsite allows festival goers to store or exchange warm Diageo cans and collect cold replacements during the weekend.

There is a catch: the exchange requires a minimum of 24 cans and is for over-18s only.

My phone is dead. Bigger disaster?

Power bank rental machines will be dotted around the site, including in the Late Night Arena and the Jimi Hendrix and Samuel Beckett campsites.

Charging and Wi-Fi will also be available at the festival’s AIR (Assistance, Information and Response) Hubs, which operate as information and welfare points. Campsite AIR Hubs will be open 24 hours from today until Monday.

And if you’re particularly concerned about losing something, lockers are available in the Jimi Hendrix campsite for valuables and larger storage boxes can also be booked.

If you do end up losing something, lost and found is at the Jimi Hendrix Arena Entrance and will remain open until 4pm on Monday, giving anyone who wakes up after the weekend minus a phone, wallet or other important possession one last chance at a reunion.

Anything else I need to know?

The whole festival is also cashless, so don’t rely on notes: bars, food stalls and market traders will take card payments only.

And finally, don’t forget your ID. Passports, driving licences and Garda Age Cards are accepted, but photographs or photocopies won’t be.