Wow! I don’t even know where to start, but this year’s Bludfest was even better than last year! This year’s event was even bigger than last year, fully utilising all the space on offer. They took on board all the feedback from last year’s event to make this year run smoother. There were more gates and entrances, meaning fans spent less time waiting in the heat, and more people could get in quicker so the openers had much bigger crowds as well.
This year, both stages had raised viewing platforms for better accessibility, and there was even more to do and see on top of the usual pub, B.R.A.T. pop-up shop and Yungblud exhibition. This year’s Yungblud village featured a skate park, which everyone was enjoying, as well as more activities and even a behind-the-scenes look into the stage setup and lighting and sound boards used during the show, with Future Productions, which got everyone even more hyped ahead of the show.
There was an ‘Idols’ truck selling limited edition Bludfest vinyl and CD copies of ‘Idols’ as well as more food stalls and a bigger merch tent, and they brought back the ‘make a friend’ tent with even more crafts. The second stage this year was also a full stage set up instead of being on the side of a truck like last year, and had a much bigger crowd area so everyone could see their favourite artists without being cut off due to overcrowding.
Elin Hall opened the main stage this year, and although I didn’t catch her set, she brought the summery vibes and set the tone for the day, with her ethereal Icelandic ballads, which I enjoyed listening to as I explored the village.
Nxdia killed it on the main stage, bringing the energy with their alt rock beats and charismatic energy, they had everyone singing and dancing along and amassed a vast crowd as they entwined Arabic lyrics with catchy riffs and fun storytelling. They debuted a few songs from their recently released EP ‘I promise no one is watching’ and they hit so hard live especially ‘Boo, Nevermind‘.
Next up on the main stage was Luvcat, who commanded the crowd with her strong vocals, catchy rock ballads and mysterious persona, recounting short stories of each song before playing them for us.
I didn’t quite catch Master Peace, but when I walked past, he had the whole crowd bouncing along to ‘Home‘ and his set looked super fun.
Nieve Ella had the entire crowd watching in awe as she showed off her incredible vocals and had fun on stage, interacting with her band and fans. She had incredible stage presence and got everyone singing along and joining in for the scream during ‘Ganni Top’.
Then over on the main stage, Blackbear was back for his first show in over 3 years and played all the fan favourites, including ‘hot girl bummer’ and ‘idfc’. I particularly enjoyed his song ‘Monsters’ and the mash-up he performed of all the fan favourite collaborations, including ‘gfy’ with MGK and ‘Love It When You Hate Me’ with Avril Lavigne. It worked so well and kept all his fans on their toes while singing along.
Back over on the second stage, I managed to catch the last half of Peach PRC’s set. She enchanted the crowd with her pink pop vibes with help from Chloe Dadd, her guitarist and her backup dancers with their props. She interacted with the crowd, making little jokes with them about her songs before each one and blew everyone away with her performance.
Chase Atlantic took to the main stage for their exhilarating live show and co-headline slot, prompting fans to keep their ‘hands up’ for the whole show while delivering a high-energy performance and enticing more fans to come and watch with their magnetic personalities.
They each had their moment walking down the catwalk, showing off their musical skills, whether that was insane guitar riffs or soulful vocals. They solidified their position as one of the top must-see live bands; their energy and show production is unmatched, from the stage layout to the visuals, lights, pyro, and CO2 cannons. They performed a set full of fan favourites, including ‘Swim’, ‘Church’ and an unreleased track ‘Facedown’ before ending with ‘Friends’.
After running from the main stage to the second stage, I managed to catch the last 2 songs of Rachel Chinouriri’s set, which were ‘Never Need Me’ and ‘All I Ever Asked’ which had the whole crowd singing along loudly, further cementing her place as one of the most exciting up-and-coming pop stars. She has an unmatched energy that just draws people in. She also revealed that this was her first time headlining a stage at a festival, which resulted in a massive round of applause from her proud fans. Headlining a stage is so well-deserved with her incredible performance and vocals.
Yungblud
Last but not least was Yungblud’s long-awaited set! The screens on either side of the stage flashed ‘hello’ in many different languages before Yungblud appeared, opening with ‘Hello Heaven, Hello’ before leading into ‘Lovesick Lullaby’. He was joined on stage by his band as well as a string quartet and a pianist to play the new album fully live, enabling fans to have the full experience. Yungblud put on an incredible rock performance, debuting many new songs from his latest album ‘Idols’ as well as a few fan favourites including ‘parents’, ‘Lowlife’ and ‘Tin Pan Boy’, which received a massive cheer from the audience. He was joined on stage by a fan playing guitar for ‘fleabag’ before playing ‘The Greatest Parade’, which is one of my favourite songs off the new album; it reminds me of early ‘Placebo’ music.
He then performed ‘Change’ before giving a speech about all the children being affected by wars in Sudan and Gaza before urging festival-goers to donate to War Child, who were on site at Bludfest this year. They then led into ‘Monday Murder’ before playing a few older songs and then bringing out Billy Idol for the ‘Icon slot’ to perform Billy Idol’s ‘White Wedding’ together, which was such a treat. The end of his set included a quick outfit change and lots of pyro before ending with ‘Zombie’, accompanied by an intense firework show, which was the perfect finish to such an incredible day.
The new main stage layout this year also meant that everyone had a better view, regardless of where they were in the crowd, and the sound sounded incredible all around the site.
My only critique is that Yungblud’s set felt more like it was planned for video optics instead of having that fan-first community feel to it like last year. There was less fan interaction, and the setlist didn’t flow together as smoothly as last year’s one. There wasn’t a crazy light show or intense energy like year one, but that could be to do with the new creative direction he is going in with this new album. The simple spotlight on Yungblud throughout the set meant that your attention was shifted onto the intricate details of the instrumentals behind each song, giving them their moment to shine and be appreciated instead.
But all in all, this year was spectacular and ran very smoothly. I can’t wait to see what is in store for next year!
Go stream ‘Idols’ now!
