MCD provides update on possibility of Electric Picnic taking place this year

MCD’s Denis Desmond has assured people that he is “optimistic” about Electric Picnic going ahead despite the Covid-19 outbreak.

Electric Picnic 2020 is scheduled to take place from Friday, September 4 until Sunday, September 6 but doubts about its staging have begun to emerge due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. However, Desmond has been quoted in the Irish Times as saying: “It is five months away. I would be optimistic that Electric Picnic will happen but of course we are in uncharted waters here.”

Here's your first look at the #EP20 line up! Rage Against The Machine / @snowpatrol / @ChemBros / @picturethis / @LewisCapaldi / @AnnieMac / @feelmybicep / @foals + many more!

Explore the line up in full here: https://t.co/OltZpMkFim pic.twitter.com/4Wz3CrxMXP

— Electric Picnic (@EPfestival) March 11, 2020

With several entertainment and sporting events this side of the summer already cancelled, Desmond doesn’t foresee any such problems for those due to take place later in the year. He goes on to say: “I’ve no doubt that there will be a relaxation of the restrictions in place but it will probably be some time before we can have 20,000 people in a stadium or in a field.”

Citing China’s gradual return to normality, Desmond added “We are two months behind them and we are not as badly hit with Covid 19. If we are back to normality by July, we would be doing well.”

This year’s Electric Picnic is expected to attract 70,000 people with a line-up of performers including the likes of Rage Against The Machine, Chemical Brothers, Lewis Capaldi and Snow Patrol already confirmed.

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