We’re now tantalizingly, maddeningly close to the Electric Picnic festival 2009. The huge event is now in the process of setting up in Stradbally, Co.Laois for next weekend, lasting from Friday, September 4 to Sunday, September 6. The lineup is only star-studded, and is also completely massive, with something in there for literally everyone in the audience. Tickets are still very much available, and can be nabbed off Ticketmaster.ie for €240 (that includes camping and the whole shabang). The Electric Picnic website is being constantly updated with acts that are being joyfully shoved onto the line-up, and there’s quite a few acts still waiting to be confirmed.

Hot Press will also be in attendance, with the Chatroom set up to allow festival goers a chance to meet their favorite groups who’ll be playing the fest. Time and the first confirmed acts include Bell X1, Damien Dempsey, ABC’s Martin Fry, Dinosaur Jr., The Duckworth Lewis Method, Richmond Fontaine, rap pioneers The Sugarhill Gang and reggae legends The Wailers. Many more are TBC! The Chatroom has a reputation all of its own, and can feature everything from question sessions to autograph signing to spontaneous acoustic sessions! So keep an eye on www.hotpress.com and swing by if you’re enjoying the festival next weekend.

The current line-up for the fest is as follows. See you there!

2 MANY DJ’S
8 BALL
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
ABC
AEROPLANE DJS
ALABAMA 3
AMADOU and MARIAM
AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS
ARVEENE & MISK
BAABA MAAL
BASEMENT JAXX
BAT FOR LASHES
BEACH HOUSE BELL ORCHESTRE
BELL X1
BILLY BRAGG
BLINDFOLD
BLITZEN TRAPPER
BOY 8 BIT
BRIAN WILSON
BURAKA SOM SISTEMA
CAP PAS CAP
CHIC
CHRIS CUNNINGHAM LIVE
DAMIEN DEMPSEY
DAN DEACON ENSEMBLE
DAVID GERAGHTY
DAVID KITT
DINOSAUR JR
DIPLO
DUBLIN GOSPEL CHOIR
DUCKWORTH LEWIS METHOD
DUKE DUMONT
EBONY BONES
ECHO and THE BUNNYMEN
EFTERKLANG
EROL ALKAN
ESG
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
FAKE BLOOD
FIONN REGAN
FIRST AID KIT
FLAMING LIPS
FLEET FOXES
FLORENCE and THE MACHINE
FOUR TET
GOLDEN ANIMALS
HALFSET
HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE
IMELDA MAY
INTRODUCING
J TILLMAN
JAPE JAZZANOVA Live
JEFFREY LEWIS
JULIE FEENEY
JUST JACK
KID CREOLE and THE COCONUTS
KLAXONS
LAMB
LAURA IZIBOR
LISA HANNIGAN
LOW ANTHEM
LUCENT DOSSIER EXPERIENCE
LUCIANO PRESENTS AETHER
LYKKE LI
MADNESS
MAGAZINE
MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO
MAJOR LAZER Sound System
MARINA and THE DIAMONDS
MGMT
MICACHU and THE SHAPES
MICHAEL NYMAN ORCHESTRA
MICK FLANNERY
MODERAT
MUNDY
NEKO
CASE NIGHTMARES ON WAX SOUNDYSTEM
NÔZE
OHBIJOU
OKKERVIL
RIVER ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL
OPTIMO DJS
ORBITAL
OUR FOLD
PASSION PIT
PETER BRODERICK
QUANTIC and HIS COMBO BARBARO
RICHMOND FONTAINE
RODRIGO Y GABRIELA
ROOTS MANUVA
ROYKSOPP
SEASICK STEVE
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO Live
SKREAM and BENGA SOUND CARRIERS
SPECIAL DISCO VERSION DJ set James Murphy Pat Mahoney
STEE DOWNES
SWITCH
THE ACORN
THE BIG PINK
THE FIELD
THE HACKER
THE INFOMATICS
THE JAPANESE POPSTARS (DJ SET)
THE LOST BROTHERS
THE SUGARHILL GANG
THE TEMPER TRAP
THE WAILERS
THE WALKMEN
THE XX
TULLA CEILI BAND
TUNNG
TWO DOOR CINEMA
CLUB WAVE MACHINES
VILLAGERS
WHITEST BOY ALIVE
ZERO 7
ZOMBIE NATION