Following reports in this morning's Irish Times which revealed that Electric Picnic has suffered operational losses of €2.1 million in the past two years, organisers have moved quickly to dispel rumours that the festival will take an Oxegen-style hiatus this year.
As reported by Jim Carroll and Gordon Deegan, EP Republic Ltd., the operating company behind Electric Picnic, has announced combined losses of €2.1 million for the 2010 and 2011 festivals. Melvin Benn of Festival Republic, the festival's UK-based promoters, told the Times that this year's event would go ahead and tickets sales would begin - as they usually do - in March.
The Electric Picnic Facebook page has been inundated with inquiries about the 2013 festival and questioning which Early Bird tickets didn't go on sale in December, as has been the case in recent years.
"We never announce any of the acts until late March, which is the same as every year. So it's not leaving it late. We are a little behind with early birds but that does not mean that the festival is not taking place. Rumours are just that, rumours", an Electric Picnic spokesperson posted online.
So that's that then, eh? Electric Picnic will take place in Stradbally, Co Laois, from August 30th to September 1st.
