BLUDFEST 2025: BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER, WITH SURPRISE APPEARANCE FROM BILLY IDOL

YUNGBLUD. Those eight letters have become more than a name over the last (almost) ten years. From the project’s inception, in a dark windowless room, YUNGBLUD has led the charge on world issues, all while garnering a loyal community and bending the rules of convention along the way. YUNGBLUD is now a real movement, and Dominic Harrison appears to be the platform that ties it all together.

Last year, at BLUDFEST, Harrison exclaimed, “There’s a new album coming, and it’s gonna be the biggest adventure we’ve been on”. And wow, he was right. Less than 24 hours after dropping IDOLS, his fourth studio album, he was back headlining his festival to tens of thousands of people. On the hottest day of the year, showcasing his transformation physically, mentally and musically, it’s undeniably clear he’s in his element.

IDOLS largely draws inspiration from classic rock music, which has always been the bedrock of YUNGBLUD’s music. David Bowie, Queen, Black Sabbath, and The Cure are to name just a few. “Rock music is in my DNA. It’s the first genre I was ever exposed to; I grew up in a guitar shop with my Dad and my Grandfather. Rock music helped me find an identity as a human being”. explains YUNGBLUD. We praised album opener Hello Heaven Hello as an earth-shattering rock epic and applauded the fresh vision earlier this year.

BLUDFEST originated merely as a concept after struggling with insomnia. Harrison had a desire to create a safe space where differences were celebrated and music was accessible to everyone. It’s one, in a long line, of grand ideas from the artist, who has previously shone projections onto the Houses of Parliament during his Hope For The Underrated Youth tour in 2019. The first year of BLUDFEST saw huge appearances from Lil Yachty, Soft Play, The Damned, Nessa Barrett, Lola Young, Jazmin Bean and many more, for only £50. While triumphant, there were several security setbacks and reports of fans fainting due to extensive queue times.

This year BLUDEST returned better than ever with another star-studded lineup including Chase Atlantic, Blackbear, Denzel Curry, Rachel Chinouriri, Peach PRC, Luvcat, Master Peace, Cliffords and more.

With emphasis placed on ticket affordability again, the festival feels colossal. A replica Hawley Arms, YUNGBLUD Exhibition, Make A Friend Tent, mini-circus, plenty of photo spots and a giant inflatable duck. There’s an impressive number of activities to indulge in, more than enough to do without ever catching an artist. Better yet, Production Futures were on-site too, offering opportunities to learn about lighting, set design and more. All of these small details matter a great deal and show the level of care Harrison and his team are taking to craft something truly special. In a rare turn of events, it genuinely seems as though the festival took on board all feedback from last year without compromising on quality. Staple ideas like the Make A Friend Tent were increased to three times the size after last year’s success.

On the main stage, BLUDFEST was kicked off by Elin Hall and saw some enormous artists throughout the day. Denzel Curry embraced the moment, flying in from the USA to appear at his peers’ festival. The only way it could have been better was with a rendition of Lemonade, a 2020 collaboration with YUNGBLUD, which would have fit the bill perfectly. Blackbear was equally impressive, particularly as it was his first show in three years. He even wore a perfectly curated outfit, which couldn’t have been all pleasant on the hottest day of the year. Finally, Chase Atlantic showed how much the fan bases of these artists all overlap seamlessly. The audience was completely transfixed from start to end, receiving commands from the artist without hesitation. Aside from such incredible performances, it’s huge in itself for YUNGBLUD to book three artists of this calibre back-to-back.

Over on the second stage, we saw Reece Young, Cliffords, Master Peace, Nieve Ella and Rachel Chinouriri. Notable highlights came from Master Peace and Rachel Chinouriri. Master Peace was a very welcome addition to the lineup, as one of the most exciting indie artists of the last few years, and brought buckets of energy. Those who had seen him before knew what they were in for, and those who hadn’t got to grips immediately. The latter, Chinouriri, was a beautiful closing artist for this stage and marked her first time headlining a festival. Members of the crowd made hearts with their hands, signs exclaiming “We Love You Rachel” appeared, and the artist herself spent the full set grinning with gratitude.

While both stages had increased in size since last year, such a great set from Chinouriri highlighted a recurring issue from last year. Most of the attendees are there for YUNGBLUD, and the disparity between the two stages is fairly apparent. When festivals have multiple stages, it’s difficult to balance who’s playing and where. At BLUDFEST, the lineup is so huge on the main stage, you’ll naturally struggle carving up the crowd in two locations, and because of this, the second stage acts more as an alternative/indie spot. The downside is that many of the artists on the other stage have much smaller crowds than they perhaps deserve.

When it was time for YUNGBLUD, National Bowl was more than ready. Coming out to Hello Heaven Hello, his rock epic, ushered in a new era for the Doncaster rockstar. From that very moment, everyone knew they were in for a treat. Over the next hour or so, YUNGBLUD played a 19-song setlist featuring predominantly hits from his newly released album. It was incredible to see so many fans know the words to these songs, considering the album had only been released 24 hours prior, particularly during The Greatest Parade and Monday Murder.

“Look how f**king big we’ve got”, announces YUNGBLUD, as he looks out to the sea of people. Other highlights from the set included fleabag, where a fan was welcomed onto the stage to play the guitar. This has become a staple of his shows in recent years, and gives a nice opportunity to young people aspiring to be a rock star, too. Tin Pan Boy also made an appearance, which hadn’t been p;ayed since 2019.

The full setlist fit the IDOLS aesthetic unbelievably well, as he turned to his more British-leaning work once again. Strawberry Lipstick, Loner and Lowlife specifically were great choices for the set. New ones, Change and Ghosts also really showed Harrison’s progression with vocals, sounding even better on stage.

When YUNGBLUD promised to bring out a legend every year, he wasn’t lying either. This time, it was none other than Billy Idol. The British punk icon strutted out and the pair played White Wedding together, YUNGBLUD grinning from ear to ear. It was certainly a surprise, and such a fantastic way to introduce new generations to the artists that inspired the origins of YUNGBLUD in the first place. Idol was on fire, and this moment made the festival one to remember.

The festival finished with the sprawling Zombie, another new single which has been dubbed his ‘most important song to date’. Crying out the words ‘I know that I can’t live without you, but this world will keep turning if you do’ felt like the perfect way to close, as fireworks began erupting behind the stage.

As BLUDFEST closes for another year, the question on our minds is…what’s next? Will BLUDFEST be headlined by YUNGBLUD every year, at National Bowl? Rumours have circulated the festival plans to go global, and if this becomes true, hosting the festival in a new country every year would be a remarkable achievement and the obvious next step. For now, we can all agree, BLUDFEST Year 2 was an incredible triumph. It can only go up from here.