Smirnoff returns to Electric Picnic with inclusivity focus
Smirnoff is set to return to Electric Picnic from 28–30 August 2026 at Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois, marking the third chapter of its partnership with Ireland’s biggest music and arts festival.
Accessibility remains a core pillar of the Smirnoff Sound Nation mission, and haptic suits return to the Smirnoff Stage for another year at Electric Picnic
Building on three years of championing inclusivity, discovery and community on the festival site, Smirnoff Sound Nation, the brand’s music platform built on the belief that music should be for everyone, arrives at Electric Picnic 2026 with its most ambitious programme yet, with a celebration of music without barriers.
That includes Smirnoff’s biggest ever Electric Picnic line-up, with Armand Van Helden, Skepta and Sam Divine joining homegrown talent Shauna Dee and Onai on the Smirnoff Stage.
Saturday’s bill takes it further still, with a female-heavy set list handing the day to the women shaping Ireland’s live scene.
That same stage is where the day builds to its own breakout moment, as The Residency crowns its winner, Pinot G, who steps up to play his biggest set yet.
Hailing from Limerick, Pinot G is a rising name in Ireland’s club scene, known for his deep, high-octane and anthemic house sets and his feel-good, party-focused approach to club culture.
Picked from over 300 entries from across the country, Pinot G brings his unique sound to the Electric Picnic stage and is proof that Ireland’s next generation of DJs is only getting started.
Smirnoff’s commitment to community continues on site too, with dedicated pop-up spaces reserved once again for Irish collectives helping shape the festival’s cultural scene: 35 Vintage, Babooshka Beauty and Dublin Independent Fashion Week.
There will also be a dance performance from Human Collective.
These spaces give grassroots creative communities a physical presence at Electric Picnic, reinforcing Smirnoff’s long-standing support for the people and crews building Ireland’s cultural scene from the ground up.
Smirnoff is also bringing that same spirit to a limited-edition merchandise drop this year, created in collaboration with Irish designer Seeking Judy and available exclusively at Electric Picnic 2026.
Accessibility remains a core pillar of the Smirnoff Sound Nation mission, and haptic suits return to the Smirnoff Stage for another year at Electric Picnic, this time paired with a team of ISL performance sign language interpreters.
With ten suits translating music into physical vibration, fans can both feel and see the rhythm, bassline, and energy of a live set brought to life in real time.
The experience has been shaped by the lived experience of Sarah-Jane O’Regan, ISL interpreter and Smirnoff Sound Nation partner, who has felt the suits in action.
Speaking ahead of this year’s festival, she said: “Music belongs to all of us, and I have been working with Smirnoff Sound Nation to promote this message of inclusion.
“The haptic suit initiative allows the world of live music to be more accessible and ensures that everyone can be invited to the party.”
That thinking runs through every corner of the Smirnoff Stage, from wheelchair-accessible routes and a lift to the spirit bar’s top deck, to Braille menus, sign language interpretation, dedicated accessibility queues and sensory-friendly touches. Smirnoff is committed to building a dance floor where everyone is welcome, celebrated, and free to express who they are.
David Heaney, marketing head of Spirits, Diageo Ireland, said: “Electric Picnic has become one of the most important moments of the year for Smirnoff Sound Nation in Ireland.
“Three years into this partnership, we’re not slowing down; we’re going further.
“A female-heavy Saturday line-up, a Residency winner making their festival debut, continued space for the collectives shaping Irish culture, and haptic suits that let more people feel the music than ever before- this is what it looks like when a brand commits to a belief and keeps building on it.
“Smirnoff Sound Nation exists because we believe music should be for everyone, and every part of this year’s Electric Picnic activation is designed to make that true”
Melvin Benn, managing director of Electric Picnic, said: “Smirnoff Sound Nation has become part of the fabric of this festival.
“Every year they push the partnership further, and this year is no exception. From an incredibly strong female presence on the lineup to a genuinely accessible live music experience, they’re helping shape what Electric Picnic stands for as much as any act on our line-up.
“Giving a stage to Ireland’s next generation of DJs and making sure more people than ever can feel that stage is exactly the kind of ambition we want to see from our partners.”
Smirnoff Sound Nation exists to make live music open to everyone, no gatekeeping, no barriers, just the right to feel the sound.
Electric Picnic 2026 is that mission in action: new DJ talent on the stage, real community around it, and access for all at the core.
For more, follow @smirnoff on Instagram.
