Electric Picnic
vendor catering Ireland.
Electric Picnic is the defining date in the Irish food trailer + coffee trailer calendar. Held at Stradbally House in County Laois on the late-August / early-September weekend, the festival hosts ~70,000 attendees over three days and is by some margin the most competitive vendor weekend in the country. Pitches are negotiated commercially with Festival Republic Ireland; the application window opens in October for the following summer and is heavily oversubscribed. This page collects what new + experienced operators need to apply, prep, and trade.
Festival facts
- Venue
- Stradbally House, Stradbally, Co. Laois
- County
- Laois
- Typical dates
- Last weekend of August / first weekend of September (3 days, Friday–Sunday)
- Attendance
- ~70,000 capacity (largest weekend festival in Ireland)
- Operator
- Festival Republic Ireland (part of Live Nation)
- Application window
- October–January for the following summer
- Pitch fees
- €1,200 – €4,500 + revenue share for high-volume pitches
- Official site
- www.electricpicnic.ie ↗
Application + selection
Vendor applications open via the Electric Picnic website (electricpicnic.ie) usually in October. Festival Republic curates pitches across food categories, prioritising operators who demonstrate quality, distinct menu, and the operational capacity for 3-day off-grid trading. Returning vendors with strong sales history have priority. New applicants typically need to submit menu, photos, equipment list, RGI gas cert, public liability insurance certificate (€6.5m minimum), FSAI registration confirmation, HACCP/food-handler certificates, and a deposit on acceptance. Cold pitches without prior festival experience are rare to win — start with smaller events like Vantastival, Indiependence, or All Together Now in 2-3 prior seasons.
Pitch fees + revenue model
Electric Picnic pitch fees vary heavily by location, footprint, and category. Indicative ranges: smaller side-pitches €1,200-€2,500 for the weekend; main-stage / Mindfield / family-area pitches €2,500-€4,500. Some prime pitches add a revenue share (typically 5-15% of gross over a threshold). Power is sometimes included on premium pitches but most vendors bring their own silent diesel generator (5-8 kVA standard for food trailers, 3-5 kVA for coffee). Water access is via shared tap stations across the site — bring extra hose + a 100L+ onboard tank.
Operational requirements (gate-in checks)
Festival staff check at gate-in: RGI gas cert (annual, current), Notification of Gas Works (NGW), public liability insurance certificate (€6.5m minimum), product liability cover, employers liability if you have staff (€13m statutory floor), fire extinguishers (1× CO₂ + 1× foam minimum, 6L wet chemical for fryers), HACCP-aligned food-handler certificates for everyone serving, and the FSAI registration confirmation. Missing paperwork = no trade. Pre-festival service the trailer thoroughly — Electric Picnic operates Sat–Sun rain or shine and a breakdown halfway through Saturday loses the entire weekend.
Stock + crew planning
A coffee trailer at Electric Picnic typically pulls 1,200–3,000 espresso-based drinks per day depending on pitch quality. A burger / pizza / hot food trailer can do 200-600 covers per peak hour. Plan stock at 1.5x your highest historic-weekend volume — running out at 8pm Saturday burns reputation that takes seasons to repair. Crew: minimum 3 per trailer for 12-hour days (one rest at all times). Cash flow: ~85% of EP transactions are card; bring 2-3 SumUp / Square / Vivawallet terminals (battery-powered preferred).
Costs vs revenue benchmarks
A well-run mid-size food trailer at Electric Picnic 2024–2026 reports gross weekend revenue of €12,000-€35,000 against costs of ~€3,500-€7,500 (pitch + diesel + staff + stock + insurance pro-rata + waste collection). Coffee trailers run smaller revenue (€6,000-€18,000) but lower COGS. Typical net margin 30-45% for established operators. First-time vendors usually lose money on EP — operational learning costs eat the margin. Treat year 1 as paid education, year 2-3 as profit.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Electric Picnic vendor application window open?
Applications open in October for the following summer via electricpicnic.ie. The window is heavily oversubscribed; returning vendors with strong sales history have priority.
How much does an Electric Picnic vendor pitch cost?
Pitch fees range €1,200 to €4,500 for the weekend depending on location and footprint. Some prime pitches add a 5-15% revenue share over a threshold.
What insurance is required for an Electric Picnic vendor pitch?
Public liability €6.5 million minimum, product liability €2-5 million, employers liability €13 million if you have staff, plus the standard RGI gas cert and FSAI registration confirmation. Missing paperwork at gate-in means no trade.
How much can a food trailer earn at Electric Picnic?
A well-run mid-size food trailer reports gross weekend revenue of €12,000-€35,000 against costs of ~€3,500-€7,500. Net margin 30-45% for established operators. First-year vendors usually break even or lose money — operational learning costs eat the margin.
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