Three records highest-ever data usage at Electric Picnic as festival-goers share more content than ever
Record network traffic at sold-out festival, with uploads up 29% and data usage rising 18% year-on-year
4th September 2026 - Three Ireland recorded its highest-ever level of data usage at Electric Picnic this weekend, as 80,000 festival-goers shared photos, videos and messages from Ireland's biggest music and arts festival.
Data usage on the Three network increased by 18% compared with last year. The amount of data used to upload photos and videos rose by 29%, making it the biggest year ever for upload traffic at Electric Picnic and reflecting festival-goers' growing appetite for sharing content. The amount of data used for browsing, streaming and downloading also increased by 16%. Between Thursday (August 27th) and Sunday (August 30th), Three customers used 217 terabytes of data across the Three network, making it the highest level of data usage Three has ever recorded at the festival.
Saturday was the busiest day of the weekend for mobile data usage, marking the first time in at least four years that it overtook Sunday as the festival's most connected day.
The volume of data used over the weekend would be enough to:
- Stream approximately 43 million songs.
- Share more than 70 million smartphone photos.
- Stream over 10,500 hours of 4K video.
- Download approximately 108 million e-books.
The busiest time on the Three network was on Saturday night, as festival-goers gathered for the start of Gorillaz' headline performance on the Main Stage presented by 3. High levels of activity were also recorded throughout CMAT's set immediately beforehand.
Another major surge in activity took place at Sunday evening, shortly after The Saw Doctors' Main Stage presented by 3 performance, when festival-goers were sharing content following one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend as Mayo's All-Ireland-winning footballers joined the band on stage for a rousing rendition of the ‘Green and Red of Mayo’.
Three also recorded a 3% increase in 5G usage during the festival, helping customers stay connected as they streamed, shared and stayed in touch across the site.
Commenting on the findings, Jon Davies, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Three Ireland, said:
"Electric Picnic is one of the biggest weekends of the year on our network and it was fantastic to see customers sharing so many memorable moments from the festival.
"This year we recorded the highest level of data usage we've ever seen at Electric Picnic, with demand increasing by 18% compared to last year. The strong growth in uploads shows that people are sharing more photos and videos than ever before, whether that's from headline performances, moments with friends or experiences across the festival site.
The significant increase in data usage demonstrates how central connectivity has become to the festival experience. Whether customers were coordinating with friends, sharing content from headline performances, livestreaming moments from around the site or simply staying connected with family, our network was there to support them every step of the way.”
Three has been a proud partner of Electric Picnic since 2015 and this year's expanded festival presence included sponsorship of the Main Stage presented by 3, the debut of 3House, an exclusive Main Stage viewing experience for Three+ customers, alongside the return of Charge & Chill, where festival-goers could recharge their devices, relax and enjoy premium views of headline performances.
Electric Picnic 2026's Most Connected Moments
Rank |
Performance |
1 |
Gorillaz |
2 |
CMAT / The Saw Doctors & Mayo team |
3 |
Lewis Capaldi |
4 |
The Mary Wallopers |
5 |
Amble |
All rankings based on peak connectivity across the Three Ireland network.