“That’s like 750 quid for a ticket!” – Yungblud, probably watching Coachella prices and nearly fainting 💸
What happens when one of Britain’s most chaotic rock stars looks at the state of modern festivals — £8 pints, £380 entry, and £20 to charge your phone — and says “Nah, this ain’t it, fam”?
You get BLUDFEST, the brainchild of Yungblud, built not just as a music festival, but as a grassroots movement to make live music accessible, inclusive, and LOUD again.
💥 The Birth of BLUDFEST – Music for the People
In 2024, Dom Harrison (aka Yungblud, aka the chaotic goblin king of Gen Z punk) had had enough. The music industry was pricing out the very fans that built it — young people, working-class fans, rebels, outsiders, the weird and the wonderful.
So he said “screw it” and launched his own festival: BLUDFEST. No corporate greed. No £200 wristband for a deckchair. Just music. Mayhem. And the maddest mosh pits this side of the Severn Bridge.
🎫 Tickets: Rockin’ Not Robbin’
BLUDFEST launched in 2024 at The National Bowl in Milton Keynes, with tickets priced at a beautifully punk £49.50 — that’s less than a merch hoodie at Glasto, mun.
Compare that to:
Reading Festival Weekend Ticket: £286.45 Glastonbury 2025: £380 Taylor Swift Eras Tour VIP Pit: £750+ 🫠 And don’t even mention Tomorrowland…
BLUDFEST said “nah, we’re not having it.”
🎤 What Went Down at BLUDFEST 2024
📍 The Venue: Milton Keynes Bowl
A proper iconic outdoor venue — think 65,000 sweaty, euphoric, eyeliner-streaked fans dancing in a big grass crater. It’s seen Bowie, Metallica, and Green Day, and now? It belongs to the BLUDs.
🔥 The Vibe
BLUDFEST wasn’t just a gig — it was a war cry. A celebration of misfits. An “if you feel weird, you’re welcome here” kind of party.
Gender-neutral loos ✅ Mental health support tents ✅ A “Make a Mate” tent ✅ (yes really, and it worked!) People bringing flags from all over the world ✅ No egos, just energy 💥
Oh, and the merch? Actually affordable. £20 shirts, not £60 corporate tat. Proper job.
🎸 The Line-Up That Banged
While the focus was on accessibility, Yungblud didn’t skimp on talent. BLUDFEST 2024 brought a tidal wave of punk, alt-rock, emo, and pure chaotic energy.
Headliner:
Yungblud – The man, the myth, the madness. Topless, feral, stage-diving, and screaming about how love beats capitalism. Iconic.
Other artists that tore up the Bowl included:
Lil Yachty (yes, genre chaos reigns!) Nova Twins – Heavy riffs and feminist fire 🔥 The Damned – Punk royalty Hot Milk – Manchester’s emo rage angels Wet Leg, Yonaka, ZAND, and more
It was a genre-defying, youth-fuelled frenzy — a bit like Woodstock ‘99 if it had actually gone right 😅
🎧 Why BLUDFEST Matters (Like, Actually)
Let’s be real: festivals have become classist playgrounds for people who can afford £12 cocktails and £350 tents that collapse in a breeze. BLUDFEST flipped that script and shouted:
“Music belongs to everyone. Not just the rich.”
And they meant it:
Yungblud partnered with local charities Free tickets for underprivileged youth were distributed Volunteers were treated like humans, not vending machines Community stalls celebrated people, not brands
It wasn’t just a gig. It was a rebellion.
📅 What’s Occurring in 2025?
BLUDFEST is BACK, baby! 💥
📍 Where?
The National Bowl, Milton Keynes again — because if it ain’t broke, don’t move it.
🗓️ When?
Saturday 21 June 2025 – mark it with a skull and a lightning bolt in your calendar ⚡💀
🎟️ Tickets?
Still blessedly low-priced, still making posh boutique festivals look like scams, and still one of the best bangs for your buck (or quid) in UK music.
(Tidy! 👏)
🧠 The Punk Philosophy Behind It All
This isn’t just about Yungblud patting himself on the back. This is about building a template for how festivals should be.
Affordable tickets No “platinum” VIP “elite” crap Fans treated like people, not wallets Real community, not influencer hellscapes More mosh, less markup 🤘
BLUDFEST is a middle finger to the industry that turned something magical — live music — into a luxury product. And fans are rallying to it.
🎤 Final Thoughts – A Festival for the Freaks, by the Freaks
BLUDFEST is a love letter to the outcasts, the misfits, the punks, the emos, the TikTok anarchists, and everyone who ever felt like they didn’t belong at a corporate mega-fest.
Yungblud didn’t just throw a party — he built a home. And in 2025, that home is getting even bigger.
So if you’re sick of posh glamping, £7 sausage rolls, and being treated like a debit card on legs…
Get yourself to BLUDFEST. Bring your eyeliner, bring your flag, bring your energy. And let’s scream together until the mountain echoes.
WE ARE THE BLUD. 🩸🤘
📌 INFO ZONE
🗓️ Next Festival: 21 June 2025 📍 Location: The National Bowl, Milton Keynes 🎟️ Tickets: From £49.50 (actual bargain) 🔗 More info/tickets: www.bludfest.com (site may update soon for 2025) 🎧 Best Song to Listen While Reading This: “Lowlife” by Yungblud
Want us to cover BLUDFEST 2025 live, backstage, and with a pint in hand?
Smash that follow button, tag us @theriffreportuk, and let’s make some bloody noise 🔊
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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