As anyone who's been to Electric Picnic in the past will know, the music line-up is just one part of the whole experience.
Mindfield, in particular, offers an array of eclectic pursuits for those who want to take a break from boogying and feed their brains in other ways.
The Theatre of Food in the Mindfield area offers sustenance for both the brain and the belly, with demonstrations, cooking classes and talks/workshops/interviews taking place over the course of the weekend, and this year's line-up has just been revealed.
Sharing their wisdom and their skill at this year's Electric Picnic are the following chefs: Gary O’Hanlon, Jess Murphy, Paul Flynn, Kevin Thornton; cookery writers - Rosanna Davison, Rory O’Connell, Finn Ní Fhaoláin, Sophie White, Aileen Cox Blundell; musicians - cookieman Ralph Rolle from Chic (pictured), Maurice Seezer and Jessie Kennedy; mixologists Paul McKenna, Oisin Davis and Alan Kavanagh; bakers Scéal Bakery and Patrick Ryan, plus media stars and all round food giants - Susan Steele, John McKenna, Declan Maxwell and for the first time, Fintan O’Toole.
The Theatre will host a workshop education space, presenting family workshops on everything from feeding the baby to making pizza in the Theatre of Food Wood Fire Land Valoriani pizza oven. There will be debates on sustainability, fake food news and an all-girl chef line-up discussing Irish restaurant trends.
And of course no Picnic is complete without a little of the unexpected: The People’s Picnic, brought to us by four Fáilte Ireland Food Champions, is planning to stage the longest Picnic in Ireland on Saturday afternoon. Starting at Theatre of Food and looping around Mindfield, picnickers can take part by laying rugs on the ground in a continuous line. Picnic Hampers will be provided to all picnickers at a cost of €10 with all proceeds raised donated to the charity Jigsaw. The organisers will provide artisan food hampers in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland.
See below for the full line-up:
ROSANNA DAVIDSON - THE HAPPY PEAR - FINTAN O’TOOLE - RALPH ROLLE FROM CHIC - GARY O’HANLON - JP MCMAHON - RORY O’CONNELL - TAKASHI MIYAZAKI - FINN NÍ FHAOLÁIN - PAUL & MÁIRE FLYNN - KEVIN THORNTON - SOPHIE WHITE - JESS MURPHY - JOHN MCKENNA - AILEEN COX BLUNDELL - SUSAN STEELE - HILARY O’HAGAN - LESLIE WILLIAMS - GAILLOT ET GREY - NIALL TONER - GAUTHAM IYER - ALI DUNWORTH - ASSASSINATION CUSTARD - MAURICE SEEZER - PAUL MCKENNA - NIALL SABONGI - ANDREW RUDD - ALEX MEEHAN - DEARBHLA REYNOLDS - CAITLIN RUTH - GILLIAN NELIS - SCÉAL BAKERY - AUDREY MCDONALD - CAROLINE BYRNE - BIRGITTA CURTIN - ADAM MCMAHON - IVAN VARIAN - JONATHAN MCCREA - COLIN & KEVIN JEPSON - DECLAN MAXWELL - ROBBIE KRAWCYZK - MICHAEL QUINN - SHANNEN BUTLER KEANE - DEE LAFFAN - ED COONEY - ELEANOR WALSH - OISIN DAVIS - AUSTIN BYRNE - LILY RAMIREZ-FORAN - COLM MCCANN - BEVERLEY MATHEWS - APRIL DANANN - SEANEEN SULLIVAN - JESSIE KENNEDY - PAUL BLOOMER - MAEVE WALSH - MAGGIE ROACHE - PAUL LANE - PASCAL ROSSIGNOL - PATRICK RYAN - ALAN KAVANAGH - JACINTA DALTON - SINEAD O’HALLORAN - MAG KIRWAN - OLIVIA DUFF
