The 2026 Electric Picnic, now in its 22nd year, has expanded its lineup to include 42 new acts, as festival details approach the August 28–30 dates. With 80,000 attendees expected, the event blends established stars with emerging talent, offering a diverse mix of performances.
Electric Picnic, which began as a boutique weekender in 2004, has grown into a mainstream event with 800 performances across 50 stages. The 2026 edition will draw 80,000 music fans, with over 800 performances scheduled. The festival’s scale reflects its evolution from a niche gathering to a mainstream affair, blending music, art, and community-oriented experiences. The event’s full lineup now shapes up as one of the strongest in years, with 42 new acts joining the lineup, including Djo, Wolf Alice, Jade, Loyle Carner, and more.
Top Acts to Watch
Ten acts to see at Electric Picnic
A curated list of ten acts not to miss includes CMAT, whose third album EURO-COUNTRY won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize and an Ivor Novello Award for Best Album, alongside a BRIT nomination. The Dunboyne singer’s gloriously theatrical performances and hit songs like Take A Sexy Picture Of Me position her as a festival highlight. Van Morrison, meanwhile, is expected to deliver a set featuring classics like Moondance and Gloria, though his setlist remains unpredictable. This hardened gentleman of the road won’t be delivering a crowd-pleasing greatest hits package at EP,
it was noted, adding, the man with one of the greatest back catalogues in all music may let the Stradbally spirit carry him away.
Fontaines D.C., with their fifth album Dopamine Chamber, have been debuting new songs on their recent European shows. The band’s magnetic frontman Grian Chatten and their cavernous sound have made them a standout act. Long masters of doomy atmospherics, it appears that Fontaines D.C. are embracing the gothic grandeur they hinted at on their last album, Romance. Their four albums—Dogrel, A Hero’s Death, Skinty Fia, and Romance—have all taken stylistic leaps and proven that yes, rock acts can be big as well as clever and they also deliver live on stage.
Other highlights include sombr, whose debut album I Barely Know Her has been followed by Homewrecker, Potential, and My Body Isn’t Ready, and Geese. sombr, 21, is set to meet his match in an Irish festival crowd
after a recent performance at Chicago’s Lollapalooza, where he was a showman at work and then some.
Van Morrison’s set is expected to include fan favourites Moondance, Have I Told You Lately, and Gloria, as well as tracks like Vanlose Stairway and Foreign Window. Irish festival veterans will have fond memories of Van at Féile ’90 when he sang Moondance just as a huge harvest moon appeared above Semple Stadium.
New Additions and Expansion
New acts announced include Wolf Alice, Jade, Loyle Carner, and Oklou. The additions reflect the festival’s lineup featuring artists such as Bleech 9:3, a UK-based Irish band that has sold out its tour for the rest of the year and whose latest single Figure 8 clocks in at a respectable three minutes. The expanded lineup also features Djo, Ben Hemsley, and Duke Dumont, broadening the festival’s musical scope.
Electric Picnic add 40+ acts to this summer
The festival’s previously announced lineup includes headliners Gorillaz (Saturday) and Fontaines D.C. (Sunday), with sombr headlining Friday. Other confirmed acts include CMAT, Zara Larsson, Skepta, Wunderhorse, Role Model and Geese, while new additions include artists like Madra Salach, The Mary Wallopers, and Interplanetary Criminal. The inclusion of these acts underscores Electric Picnic’s programming. Returning festival spaces include Croí, Trailer Park, Fish Town, Salty Dog, Mindfield, and Provedencia.
What This Means for Attendees
The lineup emphasizes both established names and newer acts. CMAT’s theatricality and Fontaines D.C.’s sound cater to fans, while acts like Bleech 9:3 and Loyle Carner offer opportunities for engagement. The festival’s founder, Niall Byrne, runs the Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005, and has contributed to publications like the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, and Red Bull, further cementing the event’s cultural background.
For attendees, the festival’s scale involves 50 stages. The inclusion of returning spaces like Croí and Fish Town, alongside new acts, ensures a mix of familiar and fresh experiences.
Unanswered Questions and Future Outlook
While the lineup is confirmed with tickets and info at electricpicnic.ie, the festival takes place from Friday August 28th to Sunday August 30th 2026 at Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois.
