Laois County Council has refused to grant a licence for this year's Electric Picnic festival.

Festival organisers had been planning to go ahead with the festival in Stradbally late next month, with up to 70,000 people in attendance.

However, the county council says they've now refused a licence given the "most up-to-date advice" from health officials.

They say organised events remain restricted to just 500 people under current COVID-19 guidelines.

Fianna Fáil councillor Paschal McEvoy told The Hard Shoulder he "100%" agrees with the decision, saying he was against it all along.

He said councillors will be happy to welcome the festival back next year - but that they cannot support it happening this year given the current COVID situation.

Organisers had said they were determined the event would go ahead this year, and previously moved the date from early September to the weekend of 24th-26th.

Just yesterday they'd released a fresh statement offering "12 reasons" why the festival should go ahead.

They said the festival would only be open to fully vaccinated people, with "extensive" health and safety measures in place.

No acts had been announced for the planned festival, although tens of thousands of tickets have been sold.

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