What to expect When You Walk in the Garden at this weekend’s festival by Sarah Gilmartin

Sunshine, cupcakes and a surprise set from Fight Like Apes – there was plenty to tempt in yesterday’s press trip to the Forbidden Fruit festival site at Royal Kilmainham Hospital. It was one of those rare occasions where the usual PR doublespeak was apt, the near cloudless sky evoking the idyllic, Edenic landscape that the festival promoters are crossing their fingers will hold all weekend.

As various crews worked to finish the tents and main stage ahead of Saturday’s opening, there was a buzz about the site already, the bright colours of the Lighthouse and Undergrowth tents gleaming in the sun.

In a group of 20 or so people, it was difficult to imagine the 800 odd capacity of the Lighthouse, the largest of the tents, with its attention to acoustics hoping to get the best out of such acts as Le Galaxie, The Hot Sprockets and Tieranniesaur on Saturday, with Daphne, a DJ set from Simian Mobile Disco and Cyril Hahn on Sunday eve. But Declan Forde of POD promised they had measured the space in square metres per person, ensuring enough room for a comfortable collective of electronic madness. Verdict: glowsticks optional, leave the whistles at home.

The magical mystery media tour continued, led by comedian Andrew Stanley, who’s appearing in the newly enlarged Comedy Tent on Saturday afternoon but was holding out hope for a slot on the main stage. Funny and all as he was as a guide, it’s unlikely with a billing that includes, among others, Fight Like Apes, Kormac’s Big Band (tipped by Forde as the gig not to miss), Crystal Castles and Kasabian on the Saturday. If Fight Like Apes can carry out as classy a performance as they did yesterday to a bunch of awkward (but delighted) hacks, with Mary-Kate Geraghty’s vocals in crystal clear form, the Dublin band is also one to watch out for on Saturday afternoon if you’re going early.

The Sunday line-up for the Original Stage is arguably even better, with such acts as Everything Everything, Solar Bears, Chic and Primal Scream. As someone who chose U2 over Primal Scream at Glastonbury 2011, and then watched Bono et al’s mediocre set from a hill looking over her shoulder at the ecstatic crowd going mental to various Screamadelica tracks, Forbidden Fruit’s final Sunday night gig on the Original Stage is a must.

Loiter around Kilmainham after the Primal Scream set at your peril. Announced yesterday was a spruced up version of Forbidden Fruit Night, which comprises late night city gigs in three venues in Temple Bar on the Sunday evening, with free buses and entry for festival ticketholders. Acts include open air performances by Austra, Mykki Blanco and Trust in Meeting House Square, and DJ sets by

Four Tet & Caribou (Back to Back) and Toro & Moi in the Button Factory. The IFI will host sets by BBC Radio 1 host Star Slinger and Canadian newcomer Kaytranada, in addition to a Q&A session with a ‘very special guest’ in Screen 1. Anything to do with the showing of iconic Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense? The promoters weren’t saying, leaving those last luring bites of the apple to be revealed over the coming days.