Irish festival unveils female urinals

They are expected to be three times faster to use than regular portaloos.

It will be the first time the female urinals have been used at an Irish festival, and they are expected to significantly reduce waiting times for women.

Made by UK company Peequal, the urinals will be available across the festival site at a number of toilet areas.

The facilities, which provide coverage from the waist down, are designed solely for urination, with users squatting rather than sitting.

The units are open-air and touch-free, meaning users do not need to touch doors, locks or seats while using them.

As they make their debut in Ireland, Peequal’s reported 90% rebooking rate has also been highlighted.

The female urinals have previously been used at major UK festivals, including Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds.

Melvin Benn, Electric Picnic festival director, said he is already familiar with the facilities from such events.

“I’m told they are a much cleaner and better and quicker experience and that’s something that I hope people do enjoy.”

Future Events Hire has partnered with Peequal to bring the facilities to events in Ireland.

The company’s general manager, Sarah McClean, said the aim is to tackle the persistent gap between male and female toilet queues.

“Men have had the freedom to use urinals and get straight back to enjoying an event for years so why shouldn’t women have the same option?”

She emphasised that the facilities were intended to serve a practical purpose rather than simply being a novelty.

“It solves a very real problem at events, and the team at Peequal have put so much time into researching how to do it best,” she said.

Electric Picnic kicks off tomorrow in Stradbally, County Laois, with more than 80,000 festival-goers expected to attend.