The Electric Picnic begins tomorrow with over 25,000 expected to attend the festival over the weekend.
The kids are back to school, but they can also enjoy the festival. Children under 12 can attend the festival for free but they must register on the Electric Picnic website first.
Much-hyped new US act Azealia Banks may have cancelled her Electric Picnic appearance for the second time “due to exhaustion”, but there are plenty of other musical, arts, comedy and entertainment acts taking place.
The campsite opens at 9am tomorrow and will close at 1pm on Monday, September 3rd. Campervans only can access the site this evening.
Tomorrow, the main stage will feature acts such as Sigur Ross, The XX, Gavin Friday and the Alabama Shakes. On the Crawdaddy stage, Ed Sheeran, The Vaccines and The Maccabees will be performing. The Body and Soul stage will see The Strypes, Donal Dineen and guests and Dirty Dubsters.
Stradbally Hall is in Stradbally village, Co Laois. It takes some 50 minutes to drive from Dublin to Portaloise via the M7 motorway, although there will be heavy traffic surrounding the festival site, and organisers have recommended car pooling to cut down on road congestion.
The venue is some three hours, 15 mins drive from Belfast. Drivers coming from the city should take the A1 and then M1 to Dublin. Then take the M50 on the outskirts of Dublin, leave the M50 at Junction 9 and take M7.
Stradbally is some two hours, 10 mins from Galway. Drivers coming from Galway should take N6 to Portumna and then the R489 to Birr, N62 to Roscrea, and M7 onward. The roughly two-hour drive from Cork will see drivers take the N8 to Portloaise and then N80 to Stradbally.
There are also special bus services going to the Electric Picnic leaving from Custom House Quay in Dublin, Parnell Place bus station in Cork city and Galway bus station. Departing and return services will be running from 8am in some places and from 12 in others. There are also trains to Portlaoise, some 25 minutes' drive away.
The heaviest traffic can be expected tomorrow afternoon and evening when people start arriving in Portlaoise and on Monday morning when concert goers leave the site.
The Abbeyleix Rd (R427) will be closed from Money Cross to Stradbally until 4am on Sunday and from 8am until 3pm on Monday. Access to Stradbally along this route will be for residents and event traffic only.
Any motorists not attending the event is advised to avoid the area and take an alternative route. There is no official closing time for the campsite on Monday, meaning many motorists are likely to be in no hurry to get on the road.
Weather for the Electric Picnic tomorrow is forecast to be warm and dry with a few clouds and highest temperatures reaching 17 degrees.
Saturday will be even warmer with temperatures ranging from 18-21 degrees, although it will be more overcast than Friday. Sunday will still be warm with temperatures reaching 21 degrees, but there will be more likelihood of light showers with majority of the day remaining overcast.
FESTIVAL TIPS
The weather forecast is good for the weekend, but bring rainproof gear and wellies to prepare for the unpredictable Irish weather.
Bring sunscreen - despite clouds, there is still a chance of getting sunburnt.
Wear layers to prepare for high temperatures during the day but cooler temperatures at night.
Set out early to give yourself plenty of time. Traffic and road closures are likely. Get to the site early to pitch your tent.
Alcohol is limited to 48 cans per person. There will be an off-licence on site for purchasing alcohol throughout the weekend. No glass is permitted on site, with plastic bottles only allowed.