electric picnic boss dead at 52
Family’s anguish as concert promoter reynolds dies suddenly at his home
FESTIVAL and concert promoter John Reynolds has been found dead at the age of 52.
The Electric Picnic founder, recently director of promoters POD, passed away suddenly at his home in Milltown, Dublin, yesterday.
The Co Longford man was the nephew of ex-taoiseach Albert Reynolds and was also behind the former Tripod and Crawdaddy venues, and the Market Bar and Idlewild Bar in Dublin. He also managed Boyzone in the mid-90s with Louis Walsh. Mr Reynolds had also recently launched new weekend festival All Together Now.
POD runs festivals such as Forbidden Fruit and Metropolis, which the family confirmed will still go ahead this weekend.
A statement from his relatives last night read: “It is with great sadness the Reynolds family confirm the sudden death of John Reynolds of POD this evening.
“Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days. The family requested privacy at this time.
“Metropolis Festival will go [ahead] this Saturday and Sunday as scheduled in the RDS, Dublin.”
Tributes poured in on social media last night.
RTE 2fm’s Keith Walsh said: “So sad to hear about the passing of John Reynolds.
“Only met the guy once, a very brief encounter where I tried to thank him for everything.
“For me it all started with The Pod and The Chocolate Bar where I spent every weekend for a whole year (at least).”