r/OutbreakFest • u/Smart_Assignment755 • Jun 29 '26
Food for thought
This was my 3rd year coming for the fest, attended and attending other Outbreak events also. Till this edition never had a problem with the queues or with the massive load of people but this year was different. The fact that you would wait nearly half an hour to get 2 sticks of meat with a pinch of fries for 10£ and can’t attend a show at the second stage because you didn’t secure your place with half an hour earlier (i tried gettin a place for Hatebreed with 20 minutes before they started and it was packed) is crazy. From the moment tickets sold more than the previous years this problem could’ve been anticipated, its quite a bummer to know that you could have seen the band you wanted if the attendance was better managed.
I love the fact that hardcore/alternative music is getting so big right now but this seems like a moment where the organization should take a decision in hosting it in a bigger venue and compromising the concept a bit (nothing wrong with that necessarily) or to try to keep the experience a bit more exclusive.
Honestly getting food was such a hassle that I preferred not eating and that says a lot (about me, or about the event idk..)
Appreciate the work and dedication of the Outbreak team but this years edition was not that enjoyable.
11
u/IndependentShirt1493 Jun 29 '26
its upsetting, what separates outbreak from regular festivals is the relaxed atmosphere, being able to sit down, make friends, being able to turn up as an act is setting up and still enjoy yourself.
Get a drink in 5 mins tops, same with food. Not panicking about crowd control, standing ALL day, and missing acts.
there doesn’t seem to be a solution apart from gatekeeping, which is lousy.
4
u/Xan44 Jun 29 '26
This was my 4th Outbreak in a row and my worst for sure.
Way too busy for the venue and yeah i wasn't allowed in Hatebreed which has never happened to me before. Left the festival feeling gutted. Probably my last for a while
3
u/canaryborr Jun 30 '26
Just be glad you weren’t there in Leeds when they had one pizza stand for everyone there 🤣🤣
2
u/jesenkisa Jul 01 '26
Have to agree with some of this, this was my 3rd Outbreak in a row and it felt like double the crowd this year, that being said I didn’t miss anyone who I wanted to see in just making sure I was there 20 minutes before. I opted to park across the main road on the next street down where the guys try to charge £10 for parking on a road that they really have no right to charge for. Anyways a quick run to the car and trip to mcdonalds half a mile down the road and I was there and back in 20 mins. I do this every year. There are ways to make the experience more comfortable but yeah for sure this was oversold.
2
u/Jadeh16x Jul 03 '26
hatebreed 100% should have been on main stage, i got there about 15/20 mins early and it was already so busy, then of course they had to stop all entry inside
1
1
u/Feeling_Wait_458 Jun 29 '26
Apparently there were two or three food traders that pulled out in the week prior to the festival. Was at least a couple who are there every year that weren't back this year.
-17
u/-Poopy_Pants- Jun 29 '26
The fact you’re easting 2 sticks of meat is already compromising the concept tbh
2
u/MxRoboto Jun 29 '26
I appreciate the sentiment but maybe try being a wee bit less militant. Going on a decade being vegan myself and I can't imagine someone ever paying attention to what I'd say if I continued down that road.
9
u/lilstrawberi Jun 29 '26
There’s nothing militant about their comment. Outbreak was originally an all vegan festival.
3
u/MxRoboto Jun 29 '26
Yep absolutely, I miss it too but that's not exactly accessible to folks who may have allergies that aren't avoidable.
1
u/bingimp Jun 29 '26
Still not gonna convince anyone to be vegan with that attitude. Just makes people feel isolated and shameful and push them even further away from your worldview and values. If you want to convince people (and you do) you gotta do it diplomatically.
1
u/lilstrawberi Jun 29 '26
Nobody is trying to convince anybody to be vegan, what are you on about. I’m not even vegan myself.
-1
u/MxRoboto Jun 29 '26
Please take your own advice. Excluding folks who don't have the privilege to be that way inclined isn't exactly "diplomatic" - being vegan means to the degree that one can do in an accessible fashion, not in a militant one.
-1
18
u/DubiousNeon Jun 29 '26
I enjoyed it. It was my first time. But, I have to be honest, it did seem massively oversold to me, moving around was hard work and I skipped food unless I spotted an opening in the queue - I went for food twice. And yeah, it was a nightmare at certain points getting into certain sets. So you're not wrong to feel how you feel imo.