IF YOU WENT to Electric Picnic last weekend, you either miss it terribly or don’t want to think about it again for at least another year.
If you are of the former, here’s a nostalgic little clip from RTÉ Archives that documented the festival’s very humble beginnings, when it was a one-day-long festival with a capacity of just 15,000.
Sure, just look at the size of the mainstage. Tiny.
RTÉ’s report on the festival highlights just how deep into the Celtic Tiger we all were in 2004, with Jennifer O’Connell telling viewers to “Pack your designer tie-dye trousers and head to Stradbally Hall in Laois this Saturday.”
There was a big focus on yoga, therapy and organic food at the very first Electric Picnic, which, as we all know, has gradually changed over the last fourteen years. Jennifer closes the report by saying “When it kicks off here on Saturday, it’s expected to attract 15,000 of the country’s poshest revelers.”
Here’s what those revelers looked like, if you’re wondering.
This video from 4pm in the event’s Bodytonic Tent doesn’t look particularly posh, tbh. In reality, 10,000 showed up to the festival instead of the 15,000 who were anticipated. Sure, they got there in the end didn’t they? This year’s festival will have a capacity of 55,000.
The lineup for the 2004 festival included Groove Armada, Super Furry Animals, 90s hip hop group Arrested Development, Grand Master Flash, Plump DJs, David Kitt, Jurassic5, 2 Many DJs, Soulwax and Mylo.
You’re probably wondering how the hell 10,000 people returned home well beyond midnight, after a day of drinking alcohol at this festival in the middle Laois. Well, many of the people who headed to the event decided to just set up camp in the car-park overnight. We have come a long way.
