A photograph has emerged of Tánaiste Leo Varadkar attending a music festival in London on the same weekend Electric Picnic was cancelled.
The photograph appears to show Mr Varadkar at the Mighty Hoopla festival in Brockwell Park on Saturday.
The image was shared with the caption: “Interesting that Leo Varadkar has come to a festival in the UK today, while failing to commit to a plan for the Irish entertainment industry.”
A spokesperson for the Tánaiste said he is “currently in the UK on private time where such events are allowed.”
Interesting that Leo Varadkar has come to a festival in the UK today, while failing to commit to a plan for the Irish entertainment industry. (reminder: this is the weekend EP was due to take place) pic.twitter.com/J8ErLh4x9H
— OONAGH (@oonaghmurphy) September 4, 2021
“Festivals and concerts are permitted in Ireland from Monday. The Tánaiste is a strong supporter of the Irish events industry and nearly 100 million has been provided to the entertainment sector during the pandemic, not including EWSS and PUP.”
Events manager and promoter Buzz O'Neill Maxwell responded to the photo by tweeting: “Ignores our calls to open up our entertainment industry, then f***s off to a festival in the UK. Zero shame.”
Mark Graham, who produces the Irish Music Industry Podcast, said: “On the weekend that Electric Picnic was meant to be on, here is Leo Varadkar at the unsegregated full-on full capacity Mighty Hoopla Festival London. Entry with Covid passport or PCR test. Angry? Please let him and his colleagues who have crippled our entertainment industry know.”
The Mighty Hoopla describes itself as “the UK's best pop festival” with Cheryl, Alexandra Burke and Atomic Kitten headlining this year's edition.
Proof of vaccination or a negative PCR or lateral flow test was needed to enter the one-day event in south London. The organisers say up to 25,000 people can fill the festival site, but it is not known how many attended on Saturday.
