In an era obsessed with artificial intelligence, Mindfield at Electric Picnic 2025 stands as a celebration of something far more powerful – Real Intelligence. This year, the festival’s arena of ideas showcases the creativity, emotional intelligence and human connection that no machine can imitate. Across six vibrant stages – Leviathan: Political Cabaret, Manifesto, Ah, Hear Podcast, The Theatre, The Word and An Puball Gaeilge – audiences will experience debate, music, poetry, protest, theatre, podcasts, comedy and culture in its purest, most human form. This year’s programme is proof that creativity, connection and emotion remain our greatest technologies.
Highlights include Science Week presents: Dara Ó Briain and Blindboy talking Then. Today. Tomorrow. with Research Ireland’s Ruth Freeman; The David McWilliams Podcast; and Miriam O’Callaghan’s Picnic Brunch; as well as Ballet Ireland and Irish National Opera. In Leviathan there’s legendary music producer William Orbit in conversation with Cerys Matthews; and at the Manifesto Stage Róisín Ingle’s guest for The Women’s Podcast is Donald Trump’s nemesis, newly-minted Irish citizen and comedian Rosie O’Donnell.
Podcasts in the Ah, Hear stage include true crime from Nicola Tallant’s Cocaine Cowboys; current affairs with The Group Chat from Virgin Media News; comedy from Deirdre O’Kane and Emma Doran’s Keep it Tight; and sexual health with Jenny Keane’s Orgasm.
Across MindField there’s a collaboration with An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s Electoral Commission which has integrated into the programme a drive to register voters for upcoming elections. There’s a brand-new strand from the hugely popular Seed Talks series on The History of Witchcraft with Lora O’Brien; the Science of Psychedelics with Dr David Luke; and the Science of Intergenerational Trauma with Dr. Jane Mulcahy.
The Theatre lineup features: Ballet Ireland’s Stepping Over, Irish National Opera; and top-class fringe theatre hits: An Evening With Wee Daniel, Frigid and Chicken. Also appearing are Dara Ó Briain and Blindboy in conversation with Ruth Freeman of Research Ireland on the Science Week theme of Then. Today. Tomorrow. The David McWilliams Podcast; and Miriam O’Callaghan’s hugely popular Picnic Brunch with very special guests analysing the news of the moment.
Leviathan: Political Cabaret stage features Mindfcuked: How Politics Disorders Thinking with Ian Robertson in conversation with Colm O’Regan; Europe: Now More Than Ever in a world of disintegrating international institutions (in partnership with the European Parliament); March, Share, Revolt: The Shape of Modern Protest with Una Mullally, Ailbhe Smyth, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin and Jenny Maguire. There’s culture, counterculture and activism with Settler Colonialism and Irish Travellers with Bernard Sweeney, Dilean Foley and TraVision; Exploring Abandoned Places and Underground Culture – hosted by Dylan Haskins with Louis from Exploring-ie. And Professor Luke O’Neill and his band The Metabollix provide the finale to the weekend’s programme. Plus: there’s speed debating with Salon du Chat; meaningful conversations with the Human Library; History Ireland Hedge School presents: Making Sense of Trump’s America with former US ambassador, Dan Mulhall; and Deirdre Foley, Michael Kennedy, Martin Mansergh, David McCullagh talk about the legacy of Eamonn DeValera and the Amnesty Hour.
The Ah, Hear Podcast stage brings to our live audience hugely popular podcasts from across every genre featuring: local heroes Laois Today with their Quizcast, Unscripted with Niamh O’Connor, Mike and Vittorio’s Guide to Parenting, true crime with Nicola Tallant’s Cocaine Cowboys, The Simpler Life with James Kavanagh and William Murray, Saturday sport with Off The Ball, Eejits of the World with comedians Andrew Maxwell and Glenn Wool, Three Castles Burning interview with Irish footballing legend Brian Kerr in conversation with Donal Fallon, politics with A Few Scoops hosted by Colm O’Regan and Aoife Grace Moore, Keep it Tight with Deirdre O’Kane and Emma Doran, Young Hot Guys with Shane Daniel Byrne, Tony Cantwell and Killian Sunderman; The Irish Times Politics Podcast, The Fifth Court Podcast with special music industry guest, Jenny Keane: Orgasm, Jarlath Regan’s: An Irishman in America with Marion McKeone, The Group Chat from Virgin Media News with Gavan Reilly, Richard Chambers and Zara King, and Talking Bollox x Stall It.
Guest curating the Manifesto Stage is Dublin poet and writer Jan Brierton and her Wild Words. As part of her programme Róisín Ingle’s guest on the Women’s Podcast is newly minted Irish citizen comedian Rosie O’Donnell; there’s poetry and words from Katriona O’Sullivan & Hilda Fay; Thomas Kane Byrne & Joseph McGuckan; Jan Brierton & Gearóid Farrelly; British comedy writer, TV producer and poet Henry Normal presents An Alphabet of Storms; and there’s a rare performance of The Rentwoman – Brendan Behan’s lost first play with Neili Conroy & Jimmy Murphy. There’s also Paris-based bilingual storytelling with Spilling the Beans and the How to Gael women have a salon as Gaeilge.
The Word Stage returns with a jam-packed lineup of poetry, rap, spoken word, comedy, rock, pop, jazz, blues, electronica, trad, folk, musical improv, and hard-core rock – promising non-stop entertainment from early Friday to late Sunday night. Hosted by Marty Mulligan and David Hynes, this little gem of a stage grows bigger every year, and 2025 will be no exception. By day, audiences can enjoy some of Ireland’s finest spoken word artists; by night, the stage explodes into a journey through as many genres as you can shake a stick at. Feefs brings endless sunshine, multi-award-winning spoken word artist Mel White captivates with her craft, Annie & The Witness tell it like it is, and Louise Fazackerly casts her spell with word witchery.
Baleia Baleia Baleia fly in from Portugal to rock the roof, bbft unleash an electronic rave-punk storm, Scally & The Ballyboyz take no prisoners, and Kilkenny’s own The Donnys close with blistering rock ‘n’ roll. An eclectic mix of Irish and international poets including Ben MacCaoilte, Tugce Tekhanli (Cyprus), Fiona Re (Germany), Eva Mary Lucy (Belgium), and All Things Eve (Germany). Internet sensation Dimplestillskin debuts with her blend of comedy and commentary. Night falls with the return of Bipolar Empire after 15 years, Beat Club improvise with special guests, and top tribute act Zombie honours The Cranberries with all their hits.
There are soothing words from Phil Lynch, Floro, Bird Alone and Blue Lilac, plus a special Poetry’s Dead Podcast featuring Simon Young (former bass player for The Verve and Gorillaz). As darkness descends, it’s all about trad, folk, and Irish musical soul: Fieldsy stirs the rebel heart, Áine Tyrell cradles the spirit of the land, Eoin Begley & friends lead a trad session to bate the band, Some Ones Sons ignite sing-along favourites, Briars bring their pumping trad energy, The Boys from The Black Stuff honour their friend Shane McGowan, and Ruaile Buaile send the crowd home spinning.
In An Puball Gaeilge, creativity meets rebellion in our very own Gaeltacht. Idir chruthaitheach agus chraiceáilte, tá meascán mearaí den chaint is den cheol is fearr ó shaol na Gaeilge le fáil sa cheantar beag Gaelach seo. Beidh plé ar na scéalta is mó agus ceol ó na ceoltóirí is cumasaí, díospóireacht, drabhlás agus karaoke fiú. Tá deireadh seachtaine lán le gáire, rince agus réabhlóid le teacht. Ní bheidh deireadh leis an gcéilí seo go deo. A mad mix of the finest Irish culture and music can be discovered in our own little Gaeltacht. Discussions on the latest topics, tunes from the best musicians, debate, debauchery and even a little bit of karaoke. Dance your way through a weekend of trad, laughs and revolution. This céilí never stops. Featuring: An Seisiún Rúnda, Burnchurch, Hounds of Cullen, Empty Internet, Torby, Ócadún, Brother, Railway Boys, Emma Ní Fhíoruisce, Avenue 68, Séamus na Scuaibe, Cleamairí Finne Ghall, Bláthnaid, Charlie McCarthy, Solar Grove, Dall, Tonnta, Tinteán, Karaoke le TG Lurgan, Seisiún na mBan, Uair an Ghlóir Úir, Mumbro Top, Seansalaithe, Gaelgáirí, Cinsireacht in Éirinn, What the Focal, Scannánaíocht as Gaeilge, Kate McDaid, Ella McCabe, Ceara Conway, Darragh Mac an Ghaill, Caoimhe Nic Lochlainn and Cuán de Barra.