Blud, Sweat and Tears
“If the world isn’t good enough for you, you can build your own”
Yungblud. Photo: Sky News.
On the 11th of August at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes Yungblud hosted his first ever one-day festival named Bludfest, which according to him is the start of a movement, which he hopes to make an annual festival whether in the UK or internationally.
The National Bowl is an iconic concert venue where artists like David Bowie, Greenday, The Prodigy and many more have performed.
This festival, as I mentioned in my last article about Yungblud, was conceived and brought together because of the high prices of festivals in general. he made sure tickets were affordable to everyone even if that meant offering free tickets to people or families with low incomes.
Following recent events in the UK heightened security led to delays in access and long queues. Adding to this, temperatures were extremely high resulting in people needing medical attention for sun stroke, dehydration and fainting. However once inside the venue there were tents with free water, sun cream and access to medical care, including the the mental health charity, Mind.
The festival had two stages: the main stage with well-known artists like The Damned, Lil Yachty, SoftPlay, Nessa Barret, Lola Young, Jazmin Bean and Yungblud himself.
Bludfest. National Bowl in Milton Keynes. Photo by Savana Sky.
And the smaller stage, which included upcoming young artists such as Noahfince, Jesse Jo Stark, Landon Barker, Hannah Gray and Aziya, who received a lot of support and love from the crowd.
Yungblud was the main performer of the day, starting at 20:45 and closing the festival at 22:30. Like in every Yungblud show it was full of energy, passion, love, freedom, emotion and rock and roll.
Before singing his song “God save me, but don’t drown me out” he looked upon his fans, who he calls his community, and what he has achieved and created, the emotions of the moment were too much and he broke down in tears.
For him and his fans it was not just a festival or concert but a place where being who you are is celebrated and not looked down on, where everyone is equal and loved.
He couldn’t believe how far he had come, from being a lost and misunderstood teen in Doncaster to creating Bludfest., performing in front of 30.000 people who truly understand what he stands for.
Yungblud certainly followed his word when he affirmed “This isn’t just a gig in a field, this is a place where being different is celebrated” everyone there (kids, teenagers, families, older people) felt comfortable, free and proud to be who they are without feeling judged or misunderstood.
“This isn’t just a gig in a field, this is a place where being different is celebrated”
Pictures below: Camden Town Station and Tattoo Parlor recreation at Yungblud.
He had a vision of creating his own world “If the world isn’t good enough for you, you can build your own,” and that is exactly what he did.
There were many cool spaces and activities including traditional fairground attractions with a twist like “Hook a fookin Ronald (Yungblud’s toy duck)” and “Bash the tory” along with rides, ice cream vans, bars and a variety of food trucks offering international cuisine.
He recreated the alternative mindset of Camden Town with a Tattoo Studio, stalls and even rebuilt the famous pub, The Hawley Arms, well known for being Amy Winehouse’s local.
He created many spaces where people could get together and chill out. One of these spots was the “Make a Friend” tent and garden, where you could make bracelets, draw, play games, use the photo booth and relax on leather sofas and comfy bean bags. This area was also partnered with Mind charity who had trained mental health advisors.
Pictures below: “Make a Friend” tent and “Yungblud Experience.”
One of the highlights was the Yungblud Experience where you could see props from his videos, awards, posters, instruments and clothes. In this tent there was also the opportunity to buy his new book “You Need To Exist: a book to love and destroy!”.
What made all the areas and the festival special and unique was the attention to detail; all the furniture and decorations were in his iconic colors (pink, black, white, and leopard print).
He put all his blood, sweat, and tears into every detail to make the 11th of August 2024 the best day of his and his community's lives—a day everyone will remember, the start of a movement.
