

Oxegen looks like it’ll finally be embracing the tag of Ireland’s pop festival of choice in Punchestown from August 2nd-4th. The first few names for the event were announced today: Calvin Harris, Rizzle Kicks, Jack Beat, Duke Dumont, Pitbull, Example and Nero indicating the shift. The full lineup will be announced tomorrow night at 7pm.

It’s a good move for a festival which traditionally had to stuff its lineup with indie and rock bands which increasingly struggled to find an audience in Punchestown. Now with the addition of other festivals like Forbidden Fruit and Longitude in recent years, Oxegen can make the move to becoming the festival for young people rather than all people. A few years ago, The Saturdays were booked to play the festival and there were some raised eyebrows from those who had been to the festival over the years. Now, eyebrows should be raised if The Saturdays were not booked. The year that David Guetta played to a packed tent while Arcade Fire played to very few people on a main stage, really indicated the change in music tastes. I’m glad the festival looks like it’s representing that now.



Early bird ticket prices (for 24 hours between 8am Friday 26th and 8am Saturday 27th April) are €149.50 plus fees for a weekend camping ticket or €129.50 for a non-weekend camping ticket. Prices then rise to 199.50 plus fees for 3-day, €149.50 for 2-day and €79.50 for a day ticket for Saturday or Sunday.



Meanwhile, Electric Picnic will also finally announce their lineup on Thursday for August 30th – September 2nd in Stradbally. The festival owners and organisers have been involved in a fascinating legal action. Rumoured bands for the lineup include Bjork, Portishead, My Bloody Valentine and The Knife.

Ticket prices for Electric Picnic are their 10th anniversary of the festival is aiming to reward supportive festivalgoers by offering discounts to previous attendees:

Between April 27th – May 27th.

If you can prove you’ve been to:

3 or more Picnics: €149.50

One Picnic: €169.50

If you’ve not been before: €189.50

Regular prices (May 28th – July 28th)

€189.50

After that:

€229.50 for weekend plus fees

€85 for a Sunday ticket.

The website says “Ticketmaster should be able to provide fans with proof”. So I’m presuming only if you’ve bought tickets online then you’re eligible for the discounts. I don’t know exactly how that works yet and what sort of headache that will be for fans and Ticketmaster but maybe we’ll find out more on Thursday?