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THOUSANDS ARE ARRIVING in Co Laois for Electric Picnic today as the music and arts festival kicks off for the weekend.
Some 75,000 revellers will make their way to Stradbally which will continue until Sunday night.
The weather is expected to add to the festivities, with Met Éireann forecasting temperatures between 16 and 21 degrees.
Gardaí and festival organisers are advising to allow additional time for any journeys made in the area until Monday.
Gardaí want all motorists avoid using Sat Nav or GPS to get to the site, and instead are advising that they use Electric Picnic’s specially developed interactive map to prevent losing their way.
They say directions are “clearest” from this map available here.
Garda checkpoints will be in place over the course of the weekend to detect those driving while under the influence.
Festival-goers are strongly encouraged to make their way to the site at Stradbally by public transport where possible.
Portlaoise is the closest train station to Stradbally and there will be a paid shuttle bus service operating from the station directly to the site’s only designated pick-up drop-off area, located just off the N80 on the Portlaoise side of Stradbally.
General ticket holders can access carparks from 9am this morning. The carparks will be remain open until 4pm on Monday.
Car parks opened for early entry ticket holders yesterday.
Tow-away vehicles will be in operation for the duration of the festival to remove any illegally parked vehicle and those causing obstruction.
Gardaí advised that there will be “no collection point at any carpark” over the duration of the weekend.
All buses attending the event, taxis and motorists dropping off festival-goers must use the Pick-up Drop-off area located just off the N80 on the Portlaoise side of Stradbally.
People attending the festival this weekend have been advised that very high potency drugs are likely to be in circulation at the festival.
The potency of drugs like MDMA and ketamine has increased each of the past three years that the HSE has been carrying out testing at the site.
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Hopefully it will be a good weekend for all
@soft likeawall: It’ll be a good weekend for the re-turn (money making) scheme with so many unclaimed cans and bottle deposits!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: on radio during week that was discussed…/ A charity has got first ‘dabs’ on that…. hopefully a few €€ coming for a deserving charity
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: the interactive map for the venue shows several deposit return locations in fairness or you can also drop them to a charity area either.
@Toca Stories: Yeah they probably have to provide them but how many people full to the gills enjoying a music festival will be bothered returning them as opposed to putting it in the closest bin or just dropping it! Damaged ones aren’t accepted either. There’ll be plenty that are unclaimed!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: the bottles will be exchanged for cocaine and pills no doubt
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: true but isn’t that the general societal problem anyway and why the scheme was brought in to try to persuade people. I don’t agree with the scheme as we always put them in our blue bin but If people aren’t going to use it then yes they probably should forego the deposit.
@Toca Stories: There should be no deposit needed. We pay for the cost of the plastic/aluminum in the price for the product. It has a value. Bin companies make money off it hence why they were giving out about lost revenue. The machines should pay out as an incentive to use them for recycling without the need for a deposit but we shouldn’t be penalized for using our green bins at home….. Somebody’s getting very rich off this scheme
My youngest fella & his mates at it…. hopefully weather holds up& they have a ball!!
Calvin Harris, Faithless &the saw doctors — they’d be good craic, the rest would be “meh” for me ( wrong generation).
It’ll be like an episode of the walking dead when these lads draw back on Monday
@Buster Lawless: faithless are dead now, he died
Hope the security is up to speed, all these events are targets now.
@P. V. Aglue: slap on a high vis jacket and ya can walk in for free. no ticket needed.
@Niall English: and when you’re finished you can join one of the crews with the brightly coloured leaflets and hi vis jackets offering to pave your drive and relieve you of any cash and belongings lying around
Hope weather stays dry and everyone has a super time. Too old myself fir festivals now but in my time really enjoyed them
Good to see the festival moved forward to more favourable weather…..to anyone going, have a ball.
The devils music. Worshiping false Gods. Nakedness and debauchery. Drunkenness and licentiousness. Where else would you want to be???
@jak: not sure I’d like to see that lot half-naked and gyrating to Kylie. Thanks for the tip though.
Rubbish line up and weather.
Waste of time and money.
Was at Glastonbury a few times, much better experience.
@Damien O’Sullivan: How can you say something is a much better experience when you haven’t gone so you can’t compare? Don’t be the “glass half empty” guy and think positive thoughts.
@Damien O’Sullivan: might not be your taste of a decent line up and my views are same but others may like the lune up so best of luck to them that go
@Ian Cryan: Good for them.
Lineup not worth the money.
@Sal Paradise: Glastonbury is the ultimate festival experience.
I don’t need to compare to that EP muck.
Good luck to whoever is going though
Thousands will be there in body, not too sure they’ll be there in spirit!!!!
Looks like it’ll be a decent enough weekend weather wise for those going, all together now was right craic but the line up for ep doesn’t hold any interest for me .
Are these the kids moaning about the housing crisis etc Every time there is something on including, Christmas etc no-one remembers we are all skint
have your say