Electric Picnic gives first glimpse of weekend’s fare

Stradbally Hall is grooming its grounds, putting up tents and setting up stages for this weekend's Electric Picnic music and arts festival.

Promoters Festival Republic have been releasing stage times on a staggered basis, with Pet Shop Boys headlining the main stage on Friday, and a two-hour James Murphy DJ set the sole show in the Electric Arena.

Chic are taking Saturday’s top spot ahead of Portishead on the main stage, with SBTRKT ahead of James Vincent McMorrow in the Electric Arena.

Beck, followed by Outkast, will close the Main Stage on Sunday, with St Vincent, Hercules and Love Affair, and Mogwai the top three in the Electric Arena.

New to this year's Picnic is the Other Voices stage, a small, onion-domed tent hidden in the Stradbally woods. Other Voices organiser Philip King is keeping a tight lid on who the headline performers are for the 150-capacity tent, but he confirmed it would host a Banter discussion between himself, journalist Jim Carroll, and Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn.

Michelin-star dining

Those more concerned with their stomachs than their ears can choose from the dozens of food vans onsite. A group of Ireland’s top chefs, led by Derry Clarke, will also be offering five-course Michelin-starred dining, with all proceeds going to suicide prevention charity Console.

This year the festival asked people to design and decorate caravans for its Trailer Park section.

Among those putting the finishing touches to their colourful proposals are David Sumray, whose deprogramming machine will help picnickers switch off from the outside world, and Séamus Scullion's Old Octopus Medicine Show.

Bar licences in the Main Arena have been extended this year. The onsite bars will now close at midnight on Friday and Sunday and at 1am on Saturday.

The Main Stage acts finish at 1.45am, and this year the "rave in the woods", traditionally one of the latest stages of the festival, will be home to the Red Bull Music Academy Stage, which runs until 4am.

Weather-wise, rain and blustery conditions are expected on Friday night, with conditions set to improve as the weekend continues. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to high teens.

The Irish Times will be reporting live from the Electric Picnic, with news, previews and exclusive videos online (see below) throughout the weekend.

RTÉ will also be broadcasting performances for the first time this year, from 8pm to midnight on Saturday on RTÉ 2.