Electric Picnic has announced a Thursday night comedy event on The Hazel Wood stage
For the first time in the festival’s history, a stage will be open to the 5,000 early entry campers who arrive on Thursday night before the festival opens its gates on Friday.
This all-female comedy show features some of Ireland’s funniest women.
The line-up includes; Joanne Mc Nally MC, Aoife Dooley, Aoife O’Connor, Fiona Frawley and Grace Mulvey.
EP revealed that the idea was born from a chance meeting at this year’s festival between Festival Director Melvin Benn and Emily O’Callaghan.
Emily, a sometime stand up herself, had noticed a lack of female talent in the comedy line up in many festival lineups, as did Melvin.
Separately, striving to bring more gender balance to the festival and the music industry in general, Melvin started the Rebalance programme in the UK and he will now extend the principle with the Comedy stage at EP.
“We launched a first initiative in the UK in August this year: ReBalance, which will enable future and current female musicians within the industry, to have the support they need to be recognised. In Ireland our first step is to introduce an all-female comedy line up which will perform on Thursday night on the Hazel Wood stage.
“I must say I’m incredibly pleased Emily prompted me at this year’s picnic. The Thursday night will have incredible meaning as well as incredible comedians” said Melvin Benn, Festival Director.
Emily O’Callaghan added: “Every act at The Hazel Wood Comedy stage will be hand-picked. I’m really excited to run this and I hope many people will wander down to the woods on Thursday and be blown away by the talent on display.
“I am so excited to see the show myself as there will be so many acts that I admire and who make me laugh.I am also delighted to announce that we have the amazing Joanne McNally on board as MC. It’s the perfect start to kick off the weekend and I know that the audience will love it’. Emily O’Callaghan.”
Who’s heading along to the amazing festival this year?
