Fontaines D.C.

With their phenomenal overseas success continuing to build momentum – following a No.1 album in the UK and Ireland, a Tiny Desk Concert performance, a string of U.S. TV slots, and lauded Glastonbury and Primavera sets, all in the last year alone – the Grammy-nominated band’s Electric Picnic appearance is set to be the must-see moment of the weekend.

Willow

Following in the footsteps of her mother Jada Pinkett Smith’s nu-metal band Wicked Wisdom, Willow has been praised for revolutionising a modern rock scene that’s been long dominated by white men. Recent years have seen the young pop-punk star working with the likes of Travis Barker, Avril Lavigne and Yungblud – and clocking up streams in their hundreds of millions.

Pixies

As they proved at their recent Iveagh Gardens outing, age is just a number – and over 36 years after they first came together, Pixies continue to put on a show that rivals headliners half their age. Widely considered one of the most influential alternative rock bands of all time, one of their most notable devotees was Kurt Cobain, who told Rolling Stone in 1994: “I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies…”

The Scratch

They may be armed with acoustic instruments, but you can always count on this Dublin-based act to deliver both the volume and the anarchy. With a penchant for Irish folk and strong metal roots, they released their debut album, Couldn’t Give A Rats, in 2020 and have continued to boldly blur the boundaries between genres at their famously raucous live shows.

Gang of Youths

After winning over Dublin audiences at the Button Factory earlier this year, Dave Le’aupepe and Co.’s fearlessly genre-blending approach to alternative rock is en route to Stradbally. The band, who originally formed in Sydney, released their self-produced third album, angel in realtime, earlier this year, which is creatively rooted in Le’aupepe’s Samoan heritage.

Kynsy

Although she openly embraces the power of a great pop hook, the Dublin artist’s sound is equally shaped by the influence of indie and alternative acts like Julian Casablancas, The Arctic Monkeys and St Vincent. Maintaining a fiercely DIY ethos, and a defiant wit, her platform has only continued to grow, following the release of her acclaimed 2021 EP, Things That Don’t Exist.

For more about Electric Picnic (September 2-4), see electricpicnic.ie – and pick up a copy of the new Electric Picnic special issue of Hot Press: