Live Report: Conan Gray sets sail at hit-filled Electric Picnic main stage kick off

American singer-songwriter Conan Gray flies to the spotlight like a moth to a flame; no different when performing to thousands of Irish fans as the first act at the Electric Picnic main stage.

Dressed in a flowy poet's shirt under an embroidered leather vest with a matching metal-buckled belt, Gray prances across his storybook-like pirate ship set to thunderous applause while belting out queer love tune 'This Song'.

"But now I'll say it straight, I wrote this song about you," Gray sings, leaning off the mast. His set lands between bouts of light rain, the weather perfectly aligning for a bright blue sky and enough of a breeze to tousle his hair like a scene from a movie about an adventuring sailor.

Conan Gray at Electric Picnic. 29 Aug 2025. Photo: Abigail Ring/hotpress.com

The nautical theme draws from the visuals of his album Wishbone, released just three weeks prior to his Electric Picnic set ('This Song' is also one of the most listened to tracks on Wishbone).

He also pays homage to the record with an acoustic guitar painted with the titular symbol of luck; as the visuals went to black and white, he leans into his heart-wrenching hit 'The Cut That Always Bleeds' from his 2020 record Kid Krow.

Continuing to pull from Kid Krow, he told the crowd, "This song is about someone I knew in high school. Heather, if you're out there, I'm sorry." The song in question, 'Heather', broke two billion streams on Spotify. Its TikTok virality coined a name for any too-perfect character that garners jealousy.

At Electric Picnic, Gray is our Heather. He has done it all. From making YouTube vlogs in the early 2010s from his home in Texas to having international crowds scream out his lyrics at festivals in 2025, he has truly made it.

Conan Gray at Electric Picnic. 29 Aug 2025. Photo: Abigail Ring/hotpress.com

He caps off his set with another Kid Krow tune in 'Maniac' — currently holding just under one billion Spotify streams after earning his first certification in his home country of the United States — which could perhaps be considered the antonymic sister track to 'Heather'.

Gray reportedly wrote 'Maniac' after receiving a desperate late-night text from his ex-lover, who had previously spread false rumours accusing Gray of being obsessive and crazy. But in reality, as Gray sings, it's the ex who's obsessed with him.

"Tell all of your friends that I'm crazy and drive you mad," Gray sings, twirling around and grinning in an ecstatic dance as the crowd shouts out his lyrics. "So why do you call me and tell me you want me back? You maniac!"

At Electric Picnic, we're all maniacs for Conan Gray.