Electric Picnic 2026: Friday Round-Up

The clouds have parted, the sun is shining and thousands of music lovers have flooded Stradbally to kick off Electric Picnic 2026. We're launching in style as Zara Larsson, Sombr, Lewis Capaldi and thousands of fans descend upon the arena for what looks like the beginnings of a weekend to remember.

The lineup this year is a stacked one, with a range of international and local acts taking to the stages around the estate on Friday, setting a high standard for the days ahead.

Where better a place to begin than the main stage, and who better an artist to set the tone than Zara Larsson?

Few artists embody modern pop's cyclical nature quite like she does. While recent viral success has introduced her to a new generation of fans, the Swedish star is anything but an overnight sensation.

Against the backdrop of a damp Friday evening in Stradbally, her vibrant visuals and infectious energy brought a welcome burst of colour to the dark grey clouds looming over this festival.

As fans danced through the rain and sang every word back to her, it became clear that Larsson's comeback is no longer a comeback at all. It's simply the latest chapter in a career that has finally found its perfect moment.

Though with a name like sombr, you’d expect the act following her to take things down a peg, you wouldn’t be long getting corrected. Egg on your face. Bringing a wild, unpredictable and chaotic energy to the stage, he's somber only in name.

Beginning the theatrics before he even gets in front of a mic, he aims a bow and arrow at a can backstage, misses, deciding to throw the bow at it instead before running onstage to a roar of approval from his fans. The first unsurprising thing from the set is that they are not too concerned with the rules of archery.

This sequence of events make it feel more like the arrival of a cage fighter than that of a singer, but as he launches into his set this illusion is dispelled by his effortless vocals. The flair for the dramatic is still there, channelled now into the music instead.

His music makes for a good concert- songs like ‘Homewrecker’, and ’Back to Friends’ benefit from infectiously catchy choruses, while the live aspect gives them a bit more punch.

Soaring above all else however are his perfect vocals. To sound so clean and similar to the recordings when faced with a crowd of this size is a credit to his ability.

Sombr at Electric Picnic on August 28, 2026. Copyright Jason Doherty/hotpress.com

Next door at the Electric Arena, a similarly riotous affair is underway, with a somewhat more charged audience as Wunderhorse’s deeply loyal and equally excitable fans pile in.

The four-piece set a blistering pace from the start with their signature growling grunge riffs, following up with 'Cathedrals' and 'Butterflies', before 'Emily and Girl', both from 2024's album Midas.

The acoustic lead into latest single 'The Rope' got a massive reaction, and the handful of as-yet unreleased tracks that were debuted were well received. Moving then into a rousing roof-raising rendition of 'Arizona', they took us down for a slow number with 'One for the Pigeons', before racheting it back up with 'Silver' and a long drawling riff to lead us into 'July'.

They know how to get a reaction from fans- their set list is a formidable one, as opening bars of 'Teal' have the crowd going bananas, as girlfriends get hoisted on shoulders and the crowd really start to move even more than they already were.

Wunderhorse at Electric Picnic on August 28, 2026. Copyright Liam Murphy/hotpress.com

It’s been a loud and rock-heavy afternoon for the arena. Earlier in the day it also hosted post-punk nutters Gurriers. They also visited our chatroom, but we aren’t too proud to admit this was the bigger gig of the two.

Emerging to the theme music from A Fistful of Dollars the band wastes no time as they immediately set the tempo for a hard-hitting, high energy set with ‘Nobody’s Coming to Save You’.

The titular track off the band’s upcoming album is evidently a hit with fans, as anyone standing remotely near the stage is sucked (or willingly led) into a perpetual mosh pit that lasts the duration of their set.

Over their almost-metal sound, Hoff breaks from trends amongst post-punk peers by alternating between your standard high energy, shouted lyrics, as well as more melodic moments.

It’s an effective mix, as the band and their fans seem to be in direct communication over when to take a breather and when to revel, something that results in an atmosphere that’s somehow both chaotic and orchestrated at the same time.

Gurriers at Electric Picnic on August 28, 2026. Copyright Jason Doherty/hotpress.com

Keeping with the theme of visitors to our Chat Room, Babyrat were another of our highlights. Amongst the trees and pirate paraphernalia of the Salty Dog stage, their set saw them bringing a big crowd into the woods.

Singer Zoe leads them straight into their signature self-proclaimed ‘bitch-pop’ sound, stalking and stomping across the stage in the manner of all great riot gurl frontwomen before her, wearing check shorts and a Sid and Nancy tee.

"Who was here last night?" Zoe asks the crowd, to a raucous cheer. "Who's hungover?" she shouts, to an even bigger one.

This is their first year at Electric Picnic – and this Salty Dog set is the first of three Babyrat are scheduled to play across the weekend – in addition to a Hot Press Chat Room appearance.

These young Cork rockers are chatting and joking the whole time, working the crowd like old hands in their hour-long set. She thanks the crowd as they gear up for their last song: "we've been Babyrat and so have you!"

Though much later in the day, and further into their career, Wolf Alice attract much of the same crowd for their set in the Electric Arena.

Lead singer Ellie Rowsell announces it’s good to be back in Ireland, sporting her signature spangled blue eyeshadow.

The entire band is in fine form and bassist Theo Ellis asks fans to "take the roof off" if we know the words to ‘How Can I Make It OK’, something the audience duly oblige.

‘Just Two Girls’ really gets the crowd dancing, and Rowsell delights by shouting out "Slainte" as she takes a drink before launching into the next one, her powerful and enchanting vocals, backed by a band that can always be counted on to deliver a blow-away performance.

Wolf Alice at Electric Picnic on August 28, 2026. Copyright Liam Murphy

A day with so many high calibre acts is hard to close for, but nobody could approach the task with such casual joy as Lewis Capaldi.

Few artists are equally as entertaining between songs as they are while performing. Capaldi is a master of it. Cracking jokes with ease, you can't help but wonder if he should do a show in the comedy tent.

Despite this talent for gaining laughs, the setlist he launches into shows he is right at home. Few artists playing this weekend can boast a catalogue filled with as many hits.

That's a wrap on Friday, and what a way to set expectations for the weekend- based on who's to come the punters will not be disappointed.