Fans faint in hours-long queue for Bludfest event

Attendees complained of "no updates from staff" while queueing in hot weather

People attending a major concert criticised organisers after queuing for several hours in hot weather to get in, causing some to faint.

Thousands of people attended Bludfest, headlined by Yungblud, at the National Bowl, Milton Keynes, on Sunday.

One concertgoer told the BBC she passed out in the heat and never made it into the venue, while others said the long wait to get in caused them to miss several acts.

Festival promoter AEG Presents apologised to fans who experienced delays and said the wait was down to "heightened security measures".

British singer-songwriter Yungblud headlined the event

Some people waited for more than three hours in hot weather to get into the venue

Jessica Hedges, 21, of Northampton, told the BBC she and a friend had joined the queue at 12:45 BST ahead of gates opening at 13:00.

They had hoped to watch Nessa Barrett, who was on stage at 15:35, but by 16:15 they were still queuing "and couldn't see the entrance".

"Many people fainted; threw up. People went home and kids were overheating," she said.

"We had been begging for water and were told we'd get it once we were in the venue... I eventually passed out and never made it into the venue."

She said security staff were "rude and showed no empathy", adding: "Four hours later, after sitting with paramedics for an hour, I am now home with heatstroke and didn't get in to see a single act."

Justin Dack was attending the event with family and friends

Other attendees posted on X, complaining of waiting in “massive queues” with no water or shade and “no information from staff”.

One described the queues as an "absolute farce".

'People are overheating'

Justin Dack, 50, of Dereham, Norfolk, told the BBC he was waiting with his wife, son and two friends for nearly three and a half hours.

“It’s been massive queues - lots of heat... people are overheating," he said.

“I do go to lots of concerts but have never had this experience. We expect some delays, but not like this.

"We wanted to see Nessa Barrett but missed her act and some more acts due to this delay, which is disappointing.”

Tickets for the one-day festival were priced at below £50, lower than for many comparable events, after singer-songwriter Yungblud said "music should be accessible to everyone".

Other acts playing included Lil Yachty, Soft Play, Jazmin Bean and The Damned.

A week earlier, a man was stabbed at the Reggae Land festival at the same venue, leading to two men being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

An AEG spokesperson said: “We recognise that some fans experienced delays in entering Bludfest this weekend and apologise for the inconvenience caused.

"These delays were due to rigorous and heightened security measures, put in place following recent unprecedented events which have taken place in the UK, to ensure the safety of all fans arriving onsite, which is our number one priority.

"We always endeavour to allow fans into the venue as quickly as possible, whilst at the same time working with local authorities to ensure all essential security checks are carried out thoroughly."

It added: "As part of our pre-event messaging, we encouraged all ticketholders to come prepared for the hot weather and our teams on the ground assisted with handing out water, communicating shaded areas, and directing guests in need of additional assistance to the nearest welfare and medic stations.

"Upon the local authorities and security giving us the relevant permissions, we also opened additional gates and entrances. We have taken on board all the feedback received and will make every endeavour to ensure appropriate changes are implemented in the future.”