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Electric Picnic

8 alternative things to see and do at Electric Picnic this year

It’s not all about the music, y’know.

THIS YEAR’S ELECTRIC Picnic is a mere two days away, and excitement is reaching fever pitch.

The music is the main thing, obviously – but there’s a wealth of other non-musical activities to be sampled.

So you COULD stand in a tent watching a band you’ve never heard of play some indecipherable songs… or you could do some of these things instead.

Relax at the Other Voices stage

RTÉ’s revered music show Other Voices is taking the trip up from Dingle to present their own stage, nestled in the woods of Stradbally Hall.

Little Green Cars, Silences and Nick Mulvey will be amongst those providing the tunes over the weekend, while talking heads from the Banter podcast will convene on Saturday afternoon to discuss the modern festival.

Join a Brooklyn-inspired block party

HeinekenIRE / YouTube

Heineken is bringing a three-day party ‘inspired by Brooklyn’s most vibrant party scenes’ to Electric Picnic this year. It’ll feature delicious food, great music and ‘activities’ (God knows) to keep everyone entertained.

A little slice of Williamsburg in Co Laois. Aren’t we very cool, now.

Have your mind blown at the Science Gallery stage

Electric Picnic Festival Niall Carson Niall Carson

This year’s Science Gallery stage in the Mindfield arena feeds into the Irish obsession with weather, tying in with the current Science Gallery exhibition, Strange Weather.

The five-minute Ignite talks promise to amaze and amuse, and you can even bring the kiddies to the Scientific Sue show, which focuses on crazy climates. Fun for all the family.

Learn from the best chefs around

Electric Picnic Festivals Chef Derry Clarke at the festival in 2011 Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Mosey down to the Theatre of Food in the Mindfield arena to watch some food demonstrations, learn about cocktail making from master mixologists and taste all sorts of delicious fare.

Chefs Neven Maguire, Paul Flynn and Lily Higgins (sister of comedian Maeve Higgins) will all be there to teach you a damn thing about food for once in your life.

Go nuts at the rave in the woods

Electric Picnic Music Festivals The woods, pre-rave Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

What started as an impromptu yearly rave in the vast forest of Stradbally Hall has become a legendary event in its own right.

This year, it’ll find its home on the Red Bull Music Academy Stage, in the woods beside the main entrance. We’ll see ye there.

Spoil your inner child at the funfair

Electric Picnic Music Festivals WHEEEEE! Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Probably not the best idea if you’re feeling delicate, but if you’re not by all means get yourself down to the funfair near the Jimi Hendrix campsite.

Choose from swing rides, bumper cars or the thoroughly un-terrifying Ghost Train. Go wild.

Laugh it up in the Comedy Tent

PA-3502556 Simon Amstell PA Archive / Press Association Images PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

The Comedy Tent can be a very nice place to park yourself during the day with a cold beverage – this year you could catch Republic of Telly’s Kevin McGahern (Saturday, 2pm), Foil Arms and Hog (6.10pm, Saturday) or Jarlath Regan (Sunday, 6pm).

The big guns, Simon Amstell and David O’Doherty, will be doing their thing at 8.15pm on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Speak your cúpla focal at An Puball Gaeilge

Livetrad / YouTube

This one’s for the Gaeilgeorí out there – a tent all for you, to speak our beautiful native language amongst like-minded people.

Located in the Mindfield arena, there’ll be karaoke, comedy, poetry and theatre all as Gaeilge. And Hector Ó hEochagáin. He’ll be there too. (Sorry.)

More: Here is everything we know about this year’s Electric Picnic schedule>

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