The first ever Bludfest!!
I?m still recovering from such an incredible day as I write this review! But let?s start from the beginning!
As soon as I arrived to collect my pass, I could tell how amazing it would be. All the staff were so helpful and friendly, and security was great while checking everyone?s bags and ensuring all the fans had water.
Jazmin Bean
I made it just in time to catch Jazmin Bean?s set as they opened up the main stage. They made their way onto the stage in a beautiful pink corset and skirt, and started their set off with 'Favourite Toy', followed by 'Best Junkie You Adore', both from their recent album Traumatic Livelihood. 'Favourite Toy' features cool instrumentals with a string section, making it the perfect start to the day, while 'Best Junkie You Adore' has gut-wrenching, profound lyrics with an upbeat tune.
Next up was an unreleased song called 'It?s Not My Fault, It?s Yours', which was one of my favorites of their set?I can?t wait for it to be released on Friday! Then, making use of the entire stage and runway, we were taken back to 'Saccharine', an older single from the Worldwide Torture EP. The fans loved this one, singing all the lyrics and even screaming when Jazmin started singing it. The last song of their set was 'Piggie'. After seeing Jazmin?s set, I?m even more excited for their upcoming October tour!
See the full gallery of Jazmin Bean's gig at Bludfest.
Aziya
I then walked back up the hill to the second stage to watch Aziya?s set. It may have been a small crowd, as many people were still queuing to get in, but she brought the energy. I wasn?t very familiar with her music beforehand, but I thoroughly enjoyed her set, especially 'Atomic', 'Crush (Tom Verlaine)', and 'Party's Over'. Her music features super catchy guitar riffs and funky melodies. She had an amazing stage presence, interacting with her band and encouraging the crowd to dance along and sing her lyrics back to her. You may already be familiar with some of her songs from TikTok, but she?s one to watch, as I?m sure she has big things coming.
See the full gallery of Aziya's concert here.
Lola Young
Next up, over on the main stage again, was Lola Young. I opted to watch from the top of the hill this time but now wish I had gone closer. Her music isn?t the sort I?d normally listen to, but she has a really impressive voice, and I?ll be adding some of her songs to my playlists! 'Messy', 'Conceited', 'Don?t Hate Me', and 'Wish You Were Dead' all showcased her incredible vocals with relatable lyrics and super catchy, interesting sound production to back them. I?m thinking about going to her December tour after discovering her music the other day.
See the full gallery of Lola Young's concert here.
Hannah Grae
Then back over on the second stage was Hannah Grae. I recently discovered her song 'Who Dunnit?It was even better than I expected. Hannah Grae had so much energy, running back and forth on the stage and jumping down into the pit to climb onto the barrier to interact with her fans. She seemed to be having so much fun on stage with her band. I also really enjoyed her entire set, which included 'Typical', 'Better Now You're Gone', 'It Could Have Been You', and 'Screw Loose'. She also played the unreleased 'Star Crossed Lover' before announcing that it would be out on Friday.
See the full gallery of Hannah Grae concert here.
Nessa Barret
Then I headed back to the main stage to see Nessa Barrett, and the crowd was rapidly growing as more people arrived. Nessa played a 9-song setlist, which included the recently released 'Passenger Princess' as well as an unreleased song that she showcased while playing the bass. Nessa Barrett seemed so much more confident on stage since the last time I saw her, and she had one of the loudest crowds of the day up until this point, singing all her lyrics back to her. She got the crowd hyped up, especially with her song 'BANG BANG!'. There?s just something in her songs that makes them so catchy and upbeat but also ethereal and relatable. She knows how to make her emotions shine through her songs by mixing profound, cutting lyrics with interesting upbeat production. My favorites were 'Dying on the Inside', 'Club Heaven', and 'Die First'.
See the full gallery of Nessa Barret's concert here.
Landon Barker
I then ran back over to catch Landon Barker?s set at the second stage, which had the biggest crowd yet. He even joked that he didn't think anyone would show up. I only managed to catch a few songs due to a late start, but it was worth it. Hearing ?Over You? live was a main priority, and I?m glad I got to experience it. His set was super high energy, with his band jumping all over the place and playing many unreleased pop-punk tunes. I can?t wait for him to release more music, continue to make a name for himself outside of his father?s shadow, and I hope he returns to the UK for another show soon!
See the full gallery of Landon Barker's concert here.
Lleo
I had to leave Landon?s set early to catch the end of Lleo?s set on the busking stage in the mini village that Yungblud had built. I arrived just in time to hear ?boyfriend? before Yungblud climbed onto the roof of the Hawley Arms (his favourite pub) to watch her set. She then played a cover of her favorite Yungblud song, ?Cotton Candy?, which prompted the whole crowd that had gathered around the pub to start chanting, ?Lleo! Lleo! She followed up with ?Serotonin? before meeting her fans after the set, and someone even proposed to their partner at the end!
Soft Play
Next up on the main stage was Soft Play, a band I only discovered recently but thoroughly enjoyed! There was a lot of headbanging in the pit, and the whole crowd was chanting their lyrics back to them. My favorite songs were ?Punk?s Dead?, ?Act Violently?, and ?Fuck the Hi-Hat?.
Halfway through the set, Isaac was handed a pink mirrorball-effect hat, which he kept on for the rest of the performance, thanking Yungblud for ?letting them walk on his runway? before telling the fan they ?weren?t getting their hat back?. Laurie then jumped into the crowd to crowd surf while playing heavy guitar riffs, and Isaac soon joined him in the pit.
They interacted well with the crowd throughout their set, sharing funny stories about how they started the band and things that happened on tour. They even kissed on stage before telling everyone to ?kiss their friends?. They were highly entertaining, and I recommend checking out their music! Unfortunately, I had to leave their set early to catch Noahfinnce, but I would love to see them again!
See the full gallery of Soft Play's concert here
Noahfinnce
Next up was Noahfinnce headlining the second stage, drawing such a big crowd that they had to block it off to avoid everyone being crammed in. His set was a big surprise to me! I love his music, but it hit even harder live with the heavy guitar riffs and drum and bass. The whole band had so much energy on stage, which transferred to the mosh pits in the crowd, making it a truly amazing last set before the main act. The songs that stood out most to me were ?I KNOW BETTER? and ?SCUMBAG?.
See the full gallery of Noahfinnce's concert here.
Yungblud
Then it was time for everyone to take their places on the main stage again for the highly anticipated Yungblud! The stage lights flickered before the screens showed a mini-documentary of how they reached this point. The oil barrels on stage were set alight, and Yungblud leapt onto the stage as the pyro went off. The atmosphere was electric as he kicked off his set with ?superdeadfriends?. He took to the stage wearing a custom Chrome Hearts outfit with a custom ?Bludfest? skirt. I don?t know how he managed to keep his energy levels up throughout the entire hour and 45-minute set in that heat and with the pyro, but it was incredibly impressive! Hearing the crowd sing back the words to ?I Love You, Will You Marry Me? was magical, especially as this was one of his earliest singles that started the whole movement.
Next on the setlist was ?The Funeral?, where he sang the lyrics Nobody came, what a shame??which certainly wasn?t the case on Sunday evening, as the Milton Keynes National Bowl was fully packed out. The setlist was the perfect mix of older and newer songs, including many fan favorites.
He even brought out two fans on stage to play guitar during ?Fleabag?, before picking another fan from the crowd to join them on guitar as well. He then gifted them the guitars. There was also a stage invader at one point, whom Yungblud took a selfie with before telling security to get them a beer as they were led off stage.
Yungblud ended up bursting into tears on stage, overwhelmed by the disbelief at the community he had created, all assembled in Milton Keynes for the first-ever Bludfest. He paused several times to take in the moment and gave little motivational speeches, saying how he ?believed in every single one of his fans? Then it was time to slow things down with ?Breakdown?, his most recent release, and ?Mars? The air was full of emotions, and it was incredible to witness this moment and be part of such a massive milestone in history.
The pace then picked back up with ?ice cream man? before leading into ?Anarchist? and ?parents? Lil Yachty then joined Yungblud on stage for their song ?When We Die (Can We Still Get High?)?, which slowed down the pace again before ramping the energy back up with ?Sex Not Violence?, which had the crowd chanting back the lyrics.
I really enjoyed his cover of his collaboration with MGK, ?I Think I'm OKAY?as well as the last few songs of the night, ?Lowlife? and ?god save me, but don?t drown me out? The evening ended with a bang (quite literally!) with a fireworks display during the final song of the night, ?Loner?. And just like that, the festival was over and out.
Bludfest 2024: A Celebration of Music, Connection, and Creativity
As a concert photographer, I often get so preoccupied with trying to capture the best photos that I forget to be present in the moment. But as a reviewer at this festival, I was able to be fully present, take everything in, and make some amazing memories that I?ll be thinking about for a while to come! I?ll admit that I hadn?t listened to Yungblud much recently, but I?m now hooked on his music again after experiencing it live. I loved that he played lots of older songs from his discography and showed all his emotions on stage, making the performance even more special.
And if you wanted more than just music at the festival, Yungblud made sure there were lots of other things to do, including a ?Make a Friend? tent with friendship bracelet making, a fair, a mini village with a Yungblud exhibition, a tattoo studio, a pub, a Gibson shop, the B.R.A.T. shop showcasing his upcoming clothing line, and a busking stage for acoustic sets.
I also want to give a massive shoutout to all the staff and security for keeping everyone safe and looking after us all?they did an incredible job! You could really tell how much thought went into making this whole idea a reality, as well as being inclusive and accessible to everyone. The only improvement I?d suggest for next year is to put up some more tents to provide shade for all the festivalgoers, as the heat was ridiculous!
I had such an amazing day and can?t wait to see where the festival is next year, and which artists will be playing!
Artists: Aziya, Hanna Grae, jazmin bean, Landon Barker, Lleo, Lola Young, Nessa Barret, Noahfinnce, Soft Play, Yungblud
