BLUDFEST 2024: YUNGBLUD’S FIRST HEADLINE FESTIVAL IS A TRIUMPH DESPITE SECURITY SETBACKS

“All the misconception has led me to them and them to me. This is just the beginning or at least the start of a new journey.”

Hailing from Doncaster, YUNGBLUD has stormed to the top with a unifying message, cutting his teeth on the live scene and removing the barrier between fan and artist. Over five years, he’s become an unstoppable presence, collaborating with some of the biggest names in music. All by gathering a worldwide community by offering a place of belonging. A connection that’s now under scrutiny for being harmful as he reaches astronomical heights, something Louis Theroux posed in a recent documentary.

From the moment his pink socks stepped onto the scene, he hasn’t stopped. You’d be hard-pressed to keep up with his schedule. If there’s an artist who’s ploughed against convention, he’d be top of the list. While the theatrics increase annually, the core remains consistent. A headline show at Brixton Academy in 2019, 12 months after his debut, was the first indication he was onto something enormous. It’s also the line between what could be classed as ‘new’ and ‘old’ YUNGBLUD.

BLUDFEST originated merely as a concept at the tail-end of last year, after 27-year-old Dominic Harrison (a.k.a YUNGBLUD) was struggling with insomnia. It was to be more than a festival, rather a visual representation of a community and culture. A place where being different is celebrated, focusing on affordability. Speaking to Channel 4, the now-global star explained “music should be accessible to everyone” and he felt “sick” at the current prices of festivals, namely Coachella.

“When the press doesn’t write about us, when labels don’t want us, when f**cking festivals don’t take us seriously, when people don’t take my generation seriously, let’s just f**king poke the bear.”

Situated at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, YUNGBLUD brought an eclectic and gender-balanced lineup of friends and similar artists. Across two stages, there were twelve artists for an impressive value of under £50. The gigantic main stage was topped by Lil Yachty, SOFT PLAY, The Damned, Nessa Barrett, Lola Young and Jazmin Bean.

Both Lola Young and Nessa Barrett demonstrated the potential to become something much bigger than this moment, exhibiting an already ravenous fan base, many bursting to tears. Lil Yachty commanded the crowd like no other, and The Damned proved punk isn’t dead.

On that note, punk-rock duo SOFT PLAY then struggled to wrangle the crowd. While their performance was tight as ever, playing most festivals this Summer, the reception felt reminiscent of the Royal Blood at Big Weekend 2023 fiasco.

On the other stage, a light was shone on upcoming artists like Hannah Grae and NOAHFINNCE. This stage was also bulked out (potentially) more by association, notably Landon Barker and Jesse Jo Stark. Not to distract from their artistic prowess, but the former is the son of Travis Barker, and the other is the god-daughter of Cher and girlfriend of YUNGBLUD.

While the theme was predominantly YUNGBLUD, the common message was togetherness. Outside of the obvious, the festival delivered career talks, support for War Child, tattoos, the launch of a B.R.A.T clothing line, a replica of Camden Town, a mini theme park, easter eggs from music videos, busking opportunities, a Black Hearts Club exhibition and Make A Friend tent. If you’re a fan of YUNGBLUD, this is the closest you’ll get to living the world he’s been imagining for years.

Despite this, coverage of the event faced mixed opinions. Fans were reportedly fainting due to extensive queue times, which also led to many missing their favourite artists. Some were said to be stuck outside for almost four hours. These distressing events were a direct consequence of a heightened security risk, after a stabbing at the same venue just a week earlier. AEG, who managed the event, have since apologised and committed to “ensuring appropriate changes are implemented in the future.”

When it came to the main man himself, tens and thousands stood eagerly. Some had seen him already wandering around the festival earlier in the day. Fans screamed and yelled as live footage of backstage played over a pre-recorded audio. Upon reaching the stage, YUNGBLUD burst into his Beastie Boys-inspired tune, Superdeadfriends, bouncing to coordinated flames in every corner of the Bowl.

“F**k me, that’s a lot of people.” He may be no stranger to playing crowds of this size, but there was something profound about this one being for him and his audience. And it’d be an understatement to say they held back: splashing out on immersive visuals, the aforementioned fire, a string orchestra and eventually a fireworks display.

Racing through fan favourites, Harrison brought fans on stage to play guitar on fleabag. It wasn’t the first time a fan stepped on stage either, with one dodging security and making an appearance unexpectedly. Most of the setlist was made up of his more “British-leaning” work, like strawberry lipstick, icecream man and Loner.

That’s not to say the largely pop-orientated tracks didn’t have a place. Lil Yachty made an appearance for When We Die (Can We Still Get High?) and YUNDBLUD himself did a solo rendition of I THINK I’M OKAY, which was an MGK collaboration. While they lack the substance that made YUNGBLUD originally so intriguing, these tracks have helped the artist make massive dents in pop culture.

Newer tunes breakdown and Lowlife were particularly impressive, and if this gives any indication into his next era, we’re in for a real treat. The latter included plenty of nods of breaking down division, leading to “F*ck the EDL” chants not long afterwards. Harrison then explains: “There’s a new album coming and it’s gonna be the biggest adventure we’ve been on.”

In typical YUNGBLUD fashion, his chaotic confidence has the crowd in the palm of his hand. The side effects often include aches and a loss of voice the following day, all in the name of a great time. While the setlist is surprisingly short considering his extensive discography, it jam-packs enough hits to please fans new and old. “This has been the best night of my life” he shouts, bursting into tears of gratitude.

Overall, YUNGBLUD’s first edition of BLUDFEST was a triumph, putting the concept to the test before teasing the idea of going global next year. The thought, attention to detail and premise are crucially perfect. Aside from security challenges and management at times, which need to be addressed, this is a stunning example of how artists can own a day festival.

Setlist:

1. superdeadfriends
2. I Love You, Will You Marry Me
3. The Funeral
4. California
5. strawberry lipstick
6. fleabag
7. breakdown.
8. mars
9. ice cream man
10. Anarchist
11. parents
12. When We Die (Can We Still Get High?)
13. Sex Not Violence
14. I THINK I’M OKAY
15. Lowlife
16. god save me, but don’t drown me out
17. Loner

Find out more about BLUDFEST here.

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