'We're going through a lot' - Electric Picnic campers on severe rain on site
We spoken to Adam from Waterford and Neil from Kildare as they emerged from the Eco campsite at Electric Picnic on Saturday
Campers at Electric Picnic have been speaking about what it’s like sleeping and getting around the site in Stradbally amid reports of swampy ground and flooded tents this year.
The weather has been wreaking havoc at the festival with heavy rain causing flooding in parts, including at campsites and around stages and carparks. Despite this, campers are remaining in relatively good spirits.
We spoken to Adam from Waterford and Neil from Kildare as they emerged from the Eco campsite on Saturday. They told us just how bad conditions got overnight with some people left virtually under water after pitching tents at the bottom of a hill.
Adam said: “It wasn’t too bad but there was one horrendous downpour at around 4 or 5 yesterday evening. There’s a bit of a hill there so the tents up high weren’t too bad but everyone on the bottom kind of got flooded out of it, which was horrendous if that’s what you’re staying in for the weekend. They were able to move the tents so it wasn’t too bad.”
Generally conditions around the site are getting worse due to the football. Adam said: “You just have everyone walking through the wet mud so it just gets into a bit of swamp along all the roads.”
Neil arrived after those heavy showers on Friday evening so says he “brought the sunshine” with him but didn’t have it all his own way as his mattress mysteriously deflated during the night.
The Kildare man said: “It [the mucky conditions] is sort of expected; we are in the middle of a field at the end of the day.”
He also had to source a new festival wardrobe for a friend of his on the way to the site after his bag fell in a puddle on the way in on Friday. Neil joked: “There’s a lot going on. We’re going through a lot but we’re getting through it. As long as we’re together, EP is all about family.”
The lads gave us some sage advice on the essentials needed when camping at Electric Picnice. For Neil it was obviously a pump for the mattress and hand sanitiser while Adam suggested a “good cart with good tyres” to transport your belongings and also clingfilm to wrap it all in.