Five Cultural Essentials @ Electric Picnic

MindField News Quiz at the Leviathan Stage
After a handful of unforgettable appearances at the Leviathan Stage, telly queen Miriam O’Callaghan is becoming as firm a fixture at Electric Picnic as pie and mash; a surprise turn as the host of the MindField News Quiz last year went down a storm with fuzzy-headed punters. So it makes sense that RTÉ’s foremost news maven is ready for round two. She’ll be joined by special guests from the worlds of politics, sport and entertainment for a series of quick-fire head-scratchers that lurch from the sublime to the ridiculous.

MATTERS OF STATE
Political Cabaret at the Leviathan Stage
Economist, author and broadcaster David McWilliams returns to Leccy Piccy this year to host three special Leviathan: Political Cabaret events, each one a light-hearted hodgepodge of cheeky banter, current affairs spoofery and heated political debate. The man who predicted our somewhat embarrassing economic downfall will be joined by eminent international and Irish journalists, academics, politicians and commentators, while Paddy Cullivan of the Late Late Show band provides musical satire and comedy slideshows.

ONE FOR THE BOOKS
Peter Murphy at The Word
On the back of the success of his immersive second novel Shall We Gather At The River?, author and former Hot Press scribe Peter Murphy brings his theatrical pipes and butt-kicking turn of phrase to The Word for a dramatic reading of his critically-acclaimed tome. Peter is just one of many wordsmiths and creative types to grace the MindField stage over the weekend; author and roving HP reporter Olaf Tyaransen, playwright Mick Donnellan and poet Kalle Ryan will also be sharing some yarns with festival-goers.

TALL TALES
Storytelling with Milk And Cookies at The Word
Once a month, the vibey cultural smorgasbord that is Temple Bar’s Exchange is transformed into a giant living room, scattered with cushions, strewn with fairy lights and taken over by Milk and Cookie Stories, a volunteer-run arts, storytelling and home-baking collective who love to talk almost as much as they love to chow down. Based on the idea that everyone has a story in them, Milk And Cookies will be taking over The Word stage, inviting punters to tell a story of their choice, or just kick back and listen. Find out more at milkandcookiestories.com.

PLAYING THE FIELD
GAA Karaoke at An Puball Gaeilge
A much appreciated antidote to the force-fed learning of Peig et. al, MindField’s Puball Gaeilge provides a modh coinníollach-free forum in which to share a cúpla focal… even if your gaeilge is a little rusty! Our pick of the weekend’s proceedings is GAA Karaoke, which invites rambling festivallers to channel their inner Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh and take to the mic for some off-the-cuff commentary of the weekend’s GAA matches (which, we should add, will include Dublin and Kerry’s semi-final football clash!)