Craig David Wicklow Music Festival Hit With Advertising Ban

There is a certain audacity to the “announce first, ask permission later” school of event promotion, but the organizers of the ‘Under The Giant Festival’ may have pushed the gamble a step too far. In a move that screams high-risk marketing over basic due diligence, the promoters found themselves in the crosshairs of the Wicklow County Council after attempting to launch a large-scale music event at the Carlisle Grounds without so much as a signed piece of paper from the landlord.

From an industry perspective, this is a textbook case of a PR strategy colliding with administrative reality. Independent promoter Bad Apple appears to have attempted to build hype—likely to lure the “major international artists” mentioned by promoter Zack Dutton—before securing the actual infrastructure. In the world of live events, momentum is everything, but momentum without a license is just a lawsuit waiting to happen.

The fallout has been swift. District manager Jackie Carroll revealed that the council was entirely unaware of the event until the advertisements surfaced online. The irony here is palpable: the promoters were advertising a festival for August 20 to 23, while the people who actually own the land were finding out about it via public queries. Even the Bray Wanderers management was described as “very apologetic,” admitting that the promoters had jumped the gun.

For those unfamiliar with the “machinery” of Irish event planning, the mountain the promoters now have to climb is steep. If the festival exceeds 5,000 attendees, they enter the territory of the Planning and Development Act 2000—the same regulatory gauntlet faced by giants like Electric Picnic. This isn’t just about a permit; it’s a grueling six-to-ten-week process involving statutory consultation, noise mitigation plans, and a comprehensive management strategy vetted by the Gardaí, fire services, and the HSE.

Beyond the paperwork, there is a deeper cultural and political battle at play. Cllr Joe Behan has highlighted a critical point regarding the precedent this sets. If a sporting lease can be pivoted into a commercial concert venue without transparency, it opens the door to a permanent shift in how these community facilities are used. The “commercialization of the pitch” is a sensitive topic, and the lack of resident consultation has only added fuel to the fire.

Zack Dutton claims to be working through the planning process now, but the damage to the event’s credibility is already done. In the entertainment business, trust is the only currency that matters with local authorities. By attempting to bypass the bureaucracy to create an artificial sense of scale, ‘Under The Giant’ has instead created a giant administrative nightmare. Whether the festival actually hits the stage in August remains to be seen, but for now, the only thing playing at the Carlisle Grounds is a very quiet game of legal catch-up.