{"id":22597,"date":"2021-08-02T11:23:17","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T15:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=22597"},"modified":"2021-08-04T11:25:38","modified_gmt":"2021-08-04T15:25:38","slug":"organizers-of-electric-picnic-confident-festival-will-go-ahead-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=22597","title":{"rendered":"Organizers Of Electric Picnic Confident Festival Will Go Ahead This Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Elbow perform on the main stage during day three of the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, County Laois (PA Archive\/PA Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>The organizer of Ireland\u2019s largest music festival, Electric Picnic, has expressed confidence that it will get the go-ahead this year.<\/p>\n

Managing director of Festival Republic Melvin Benn said he based his optimism on the fact no one in Government had told him the event in Stradbally, Co Laois would not be allowed.<\/p>\n

Covid-19 rules currently limit numbers at the majority of organized outdoor events to 500 at venues with capacity in excess of 5,000.<\/p>\n

While a number of test events have been staged, Ireland\u2019s live music and entertainment sector remains effectively closed down due to coronavirus regulations.<\/p>\n

However, the organizers of Electric Picnic hope the festival can go ahead at the end of September with 70,000 attendees, with entry conditions including proof of vaccination or of having already recovered from the virus.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s festival was cancelled due to the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Tickets bought back then remain valid for the rescheduled event and 90 per cent have already been sold.<\/p>\n

Mr Benn told RTE Radio One: \u201c100 per cent fully expecting the Electric Picnic to be going ahead on the basis that 100 per cent nobody has told me I won\u2019t be able to and the speed of vaccination rollout in Ireland if it was submitted to the Tokyo Olympics would win gold.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we are very confident that it would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cI\u2019m investing and all of the teams are investing in the effort to try and make sure that the Picnic can happen by presuming that we are going ahead and I\u2019m saying \u2018presuming\u2019 that we are going ahead, because let\u2019s be 100 per cent clear here, nobody\u2019s told me I can\u2019t go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last week, the promoters and organizers wrote to members of the Government outlining proposals for staging the event with various Covid safety measures in place.<\/p>\n

Mr Benn added: \u201cI guess the status is very straightforward from my point of view, which is that I am very actively undertaking the planning of Electric Picnic.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I very actively believe that the Electric Picnic will take place and I say that because I can\u2019t see any reason at this point in time why it wouldn\u2019t take place at the end of September.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are two months away from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last month T\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar said proof of vaccination or Covi-19 recovery could be used, in conjunction with testing, to help live music resume.<\/p>\n

The Government currently intends to outline a plan at the end of the month that will set out a pathway for reopening the sector.<\/p>\n

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