Electric Picnic calls on Government to issue reopening guidelines after license refused

Electric Picnic has asked the Irish Government to interrupt their annual Summer recess to issue guidelines for reopening the live music industry, after Laois County Council refused to give them a license for this year's festival.

Organisers also registered their disappointment at the news, citing the potential loss of employment for 3,000 people should the event not go ahead.

"Together with all the fans of Electric Picnic we are extremely disappointed that Laois County Council have refused a licence for this year’s festival," the Electric Picnic team said in a statement.

"We now call upon all members of government to interrupt their summer recess and immediately issue reopening guidelines, as we have being calling for, with a reopening date for the sector of the 16th August on a phased basis, building to the implementation of no restrictions from 1st September 2021 onwards."

Hot Press broke the news yesterday evening that Festival Republic intends to challenge Laois County Council's decision, and Editor Niall Stokes outlined the severity of the news for the live music industry, writing that "if the festival doesn’t go ahead, it will be another huge body blow for one of the industries hardest hit by Covid."

This came after Laois County Council's decision earlier on Wednesday when they cited "the most up-to-date public health advice made available to the council by the HSE" as their reasons for declining permission.

"Furthermore it is noted that under current Government measures for the management of Covid-19 events of this nature are restricted of 500 people only".

Read the full statement below: