ELECTRIC PICNIC: Festival safe a year ago - Covid-19 expert Prof Luke O'Neill
Professor Luke O'Neill says last year's Electric Picnic should have gone ahead despite the levels of Covid-19 in 2021.
Speaking ahead of his appearances at the returned 2022 Electric Picnic, the biochemistry and immunology Trinity professor told the Leinster Express why the festival should have run last year.
"I think they should have held it last year, I was in favour. At that stage a lot of immunity had built up from the vaccines. Young people are at lower risk anyway. It's outdoors. I just felt for mental health reasons they could have run it.
"Now we're back and now is the time to get stuck in and have the festival again," he said.
He will be playing music at Electric Picnic, with his band The Metabolics, made up of fellow doctors, scientists and musicians. He plays guitar and sings.
"We are playing in the Leviathan tent on Friday at 6pm. We have two great female vocalists as well and a sax player. It's a good mix of instrumentalists and singers.
"Then on Saturday at the Science Foundation Ireland tent I'll be doing science, there's a quiz show and various activities so I'll be working hard on music and science.
Having a high profile name at Electric Picnic was never something he expected to happen.
"Never in a million years. Now we're not on the main stage, I'd like to point that out. But maybe next year," Prof O'Neill joked.
He has advice for the festival goers this year.
"Come and enjoy yourselves. That's the first thing. Secondly, it's going to be wet. It looks like the forecast is a bit rough. So bring wet gear, don't get too cold is my second piece of advice. Just try to have a good time and try not to overdo it," he said.