Ria Rua looks ahead to Electric Picnic: "There’s a freedom there... You get to experience a different world"

It’s my first year performing at Electric Picnic as Ria Rua, so I’m super excited to go down and see the atmosphere, and feel the energy from all the people there and take in all the crazy vibes. I’ve played there before as a drummer, but I’m over the moon to be playing again, it’s a dream come true.

There are so many previous acts that stand out to me. Bricknasty were really good, and Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin – he was brilliant – and Billie Eilish. They are all so different, but that’s what festivals are for!

For my performance, you can expect grungy, industrial, angry-at-the-world feminist rock. It’s loud, and it’s basically fuck the billionaires, the patriarchy, and all that shit. I’m very outspoken and always trying to call out the assholes in the world.

There’s just this chaos at EP – people are really free. They do things they wouldn’t do if they were just at a normal concert, because there’s a freedom there. You get closer to the people you go with over the weekend, and you get to experience a different world.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Wolf Alice, Men I Trust and The Scratch – The Scratch are just so good live, so they’re a perfect band to see.

Ria Rua plays the Salty Dog at Electric Picnic 2026 (August 28-30).