Yungblud hopes Bludfest can ‘make a change’ in the music industry

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

Yungblud said he “cannot believe” how big his music festival is becoming, and hopes Bludfest can “make a change” in the industry.

The 28-year-old first created the festival in 2024 with the aim of increasing accessibility to live music events, and it champions emerging artists and offers cheaper tickets than its competitors.

The singer, born Dominic Harrison, says the annual event is always “the most affordable we can make it”, and hopes it will “break barriers” and prove that artists are in control of the prices they charge.

The star spoke with the Press Association from this year’s event, which is being held in Czechia, and said it had “exceeded my expectations” just halfway through the day.

He added: “It’s unreal, honestly. I can’t believe it.

“We’ve done this in the UK, and we’ve done this twice now, but to be in Czechia and have an international festival – it is five times as big as it has been in the UK in the past two years.”

Harrison said he feels really “grateful” to see the festival come to fruition, adding: “I cannot believe how big this is getting. I cannot believe how amazing it is, and to be in its first international year…

“I don’t see any reason why we can’t take this to every possible country I can think of in the world.”

The Grammy-winning musician, from Doncaster, told PA that he was inspired to create the festival as he wanted “to do something” and change the music industry.

He said: “There’s nothing more powerful in this world than connection with people. Belief in a mutual idea, or a thing, brings people together in the same way.”

Harrison praised the affordability of his event and said: “You get 20 bands for 100 euros. You get to camp for three nights – Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

“I think it’s a beautiful thing. This is the most affordable we could make it.

“The thing about me is, I am breaking a barrier and wanting to dissolve the idea that an artist isn’t in control of what they charge.

“I know certain pop stars are charging £500 (€579) for something and blame it on their promoter. I call bullshit – you know exactly what you’re charging.”

He continued: “I feel like everything’s become disconnected, people forgetting about people. Everything’s digital, everything’s corporate.

“People don’t realise that programming in a ticket price on the internet is one thing, but having to think about paying for something for an experience that you want to have when economically the world’s really kind of strange right now…

“People don’t realise that is a real thing people have to think about.”

The singer has been performing since he was 15 years old, and is known for his rebellious pop-punk sound and socially conscious lyrics – with tracks such as Zombie and Hello, Heaven, Hello.

He won a Grammy award for his performance of Changes at Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning farewell concert which took place weeks before the death of his friend and mentor, frontman Ozzy Osbourne.

Yungblud has also had four number one albums in the UK chart.