Packing the last few things for Laois Electric Picnic in Stradally

As excitement builds ahead of Electric Picnic 2023, the final touches are being put in place in Stradbally this week.

The Laois home of Ireland's largest music and arts festival is a hive of activity as the forests and fields are transformed into the magical metropolis that is Electric Picnic.

Ahead of the festival, organisers gave journalists, photographers and TV crews from the Leinster Express / Laois Live and elsewhere the first sneak peek of all the action, the new additions and the old favourites that are in store.

The tour on August 29, began with a visit to the carnival  Fish Town with ringmaster Jerry Fish at the helm. Fishtown promises once again to be a highlight of this year's Picnic, delivering what the Picnic promies will be "three debauched days and nights of mind blowing, soul bending entertainment!" MORE BELOW PICTURE.

ArtLot featured on the tour. It features a brand-new stage - which will be hosting the best alternative music and immersive art experiences across the festival weekend.

The 11 new AIR (ASSISTANCE, INFORMATION and RESPONSE) Hubs were featured. Located across the campsites and open 24/7 from Thursday through to Monday 2pm. The Picnic will be working with local community groups and charities to run these hubs for us, with the support of our existing safeguarding and welfare partners at the festival.

The groups involved are NCBI, ISPCA, SOSAD Ireland Turn2Me, Portarlington Women's Shed, Teac Tom, Portlaoise AFC and Laois Cricket Club.

Croí, a new addition at Electric Picnic, features on the tour. See more below pic.

"This place will be a harmonious hub of wellness, somatic movement and conscious connection, where stress will melt away. As dusk descends, friends new and old will join together to recharge through the good vibrations, whether that is conversing by the fire pit together or dancing the night away to the country's top musicians, rappers and DJs," say the Picnic team.

Next stop was Trailer Park, Electric Picnic's described by the Picnic team as a "world of graceful lunacy, a haven of hilarious caravans, utilitarian mobile homes that have undergone surgery, vans re-functioned, campers converted".

The tour concluded with a trip to the Electric Picnic Main Arena which features headliners Billie Eilish, Fred Again.., Paolo Nutini, The Killers, The Script and special guest Niall Horan.

The Script to perform show before this weekend's Electric Picnic

The UK air traffic control problem meant Festival Director Melvin Benn could not make it to Stradbally for this year's press day.