As Ballet Ireland dancers took the stage in tuxedos to perform an excerpt from their Bold Moves show, it was revealed that Rage Against the Machine, Snow Patrol, The Chemical Brothers, Picture This and Lewis Capaldi are set to lead the September festival. Notably, there are five acts headlining this year, compared to four in previous years.

Also set to appear across the weekend are Bicep, Ian Brown, Run the Jewels, Foals, Skepta, James Vincent McMorrow, Annie Mac, Mabel, Rick Astley, Jeff Mills, Denzel Curry, Helena Hauff, Paula Temple, I Hate Models, Matador, J.I.D, Rejjie Snow, Little Simz, Declan McKenna, JPEGMAFIA, ANNA, 070 Shake, Lyra, Saint Sister, Franc Moody, Beabadoobee, Just Mustard, Joy Crookes, Rina Sawayama, 100 Gevs, Romare, Black Country New Road, Miya Folick, Arlo Parks, Kilo, Miraa May, April, Aoife Nessa Francis, The Lathums, The Magic Gang, Lola Young, Greentea Peng, Pip Millett and Ghum.

Last year, the festival featured two women among its four headliners, in Billie Eilish and Florence and the Machine. Noting the absence of female and gender non-binary artists among the headliners on this occasion, Festival Republic Managing Director Melvin Benn was clear about the reasons. "We always book acts on the basis of what's available, who's touring, and their capacity to be a headliner,” he said. "That's always been our position, it won't change. We’re completely committed to bringing women through into all of the lineups, but there isn't a gender balance ability across the headliners, at the moment, and all festivals reflect that.”

Indeed, there is already a significant female representation among the additional acts announced, with rising Irish artists Joy Crookes, Saint Sister, Lyra and Aoife Nessa Francis certain to provide serious sparks over the weekend.

Needless to say, the arrival of coronavirus on these shores, and its potential for disruption, has been on everyone's minds – not least with the postponement of Vantastival announced this morning, but the good news is that Festival Republic are confident about the event happening – and being as big a success as ever this year. "I'm full steam ahead,” Melvyn Benn said. unless the governments here and in the UK say we can’t go ahead... I’m 100 per cent of the belief that by June we will all be over the hump and we will all have forgotten about it, quite frankly, and all you buggers will find something else to write about.

“At this point in time I have got nothing in my head other than planning for this festival to take place at the time it will take place. When you put it in perspective about the number of people that could be seriously hurt, I think it has been whipped up a little bit, but it’s a great news story."

Electric Picnic returns to Stradbally, Co. Laois from September 4 to 6 – and promises to be bigger and greener than ever!

Watch this space for further updates...