The founder of Body & Soul has confirmed that the partnership with Electric Picnic has come to an end.
Avril Stanley revealed in a statement on Monday morning that the decision was made so that Body & Soul could recapture the essential philosophy of the festival.
Having held a popular hub at Electric Picnic for the past 16 years, Body & Soul will no longer operate on the Stradbally site.
It was also confirmed that Body & Soul will hold an independent winter festival next December.
A statement reads: “After 10 years as an independent festival, we have decided to step back from our presence and 16-year partnership with Electric Picnic so that we can refocus all of our attention to what the central idea behind Body&Soul is all about: creating an intimate and collaborative festival of the future; one that can embrace social change in a hugely positive way while celebrating an important and ancient Irish feast in our own unique, stand-alone style.
“We want to work towards bringing back a fresh energy and perspective to Body&Soul at the Summer Solstice Festival in Ballinlough and for our new winter festival ÉRIU (December 2020).
“We are adding a new sense of Purpose to our festival pillars of Sustainability, Wellbeing, Creativity, Culture and Family and we hope to focus all of our efforts in bringing something different to the landscape of Irish festivals into the next ten years.
“The Body&Soul Family celebrates all the incredible and unforgettable moments in our first festival home and wishes the Electric Picnic every success in the future.”
