Blue Dot Festival

[overnight celebrity]

yaaaas - got tix for this and omg why is boutique camping (without duvet hire) so goddamn pricey! what was camping like last year - lots of space and quiet?

[Paul ™]

Yeah Saturday ticket arrived, looking forward to this (And Arcade Fire in Manchester on the Thursday!)

[DDave]

Also going to be in attendance for the Arcade Fire gig so gonna be a great 4 days of music. Saw AF at Best Kept Secret last weekend and they were phenomenal. Soulwax just about trumped them but I am a massive fan tbf. Caught the back end of Kelly Lee Owens set and will be checking out the full set at Blue Dot. Checked out the Makeness today, great stuff.

Glad they've seen sense re: Leftfield, great addition to the festival. Pity they're in a tent but I'm hoping it might not be ultra rammed due to day trippers not being able to arrive till after work. 

Probably going to head off after Whyte Horses and Warpaint on the Sunday as not fussed about missing Alt-j and other half has to be at work in the morning.

the App will be updated with set times early this week according to the organisers.

Just a couple of questions for those who attended last year..

What's the family camping like?, how much space between tents? and how far walk was it to the car park? 

What's the capacity of the Orbit tent? and was it rammed often?

Thanks in advance and here's hoping for a dry one.

[Jsmooth]

Just fresh from glasto looking at this for next weekend, some great stuff on what time do festivities kick of on the saturday no holiday left with work so don't want to miss too much.

[Paul ™]

Gates open 11am

[drraoulduke]

Hi all, really looking forward to this now I've just about recovered from Glastonbury. Can anyone tell me how much space there is in the campsite? Just trying to gauge whether to take the big or small tent

[Paul ™]

What time do things run to/wind down at night, got a day ticket for the Saturday? 

[eFestivals]

11 hours ago, drraoulduke said:

Hi all, really looking forward to this now I've just about recovered from Glastonbury. Can anyone tell me how much space there is in the campsite? Just trying to gauge whether to take the big or small tent

there was plenty of space left on the campsites last year, tho the places with spaces left were the furthest away (tho still not too far) - but that's no guarantee for this year of course.

Edited June 30, 2017 by eFestivals

[shoptildrop]

On 6/26/2017 at 9:04 PM, DiscothequeDave said:

Just a couple of questions for those who attended last year..

What's the family camping like?, how much space between tents? and how far walk was it to the car park? 

What's the capacity of the Orbit tent? and was it rammed often?

Thanks in advance and here's hoping for a dry one.

Didn't go into family camping but normal camping was fine tbh and fact it hasn't sold out will probably mean it will be fine

Site is really quite small but that's what's so great about it, car park with no queue 5-10 mins depending how far you parked out - there is actually proper paths as you come past the gates which makes things easier

Orbit is the largest tent there but not massive, if someone you want to see just get there for the changeover and you should be fine - for Leftfield get there early as anticipate this being a busy one

Overall great festival - there was a few moans about queues, car parking organisation and loos (which were fine imo) but looks like they have been listening to feedback as this tear campsite opens at 9am rather than 1pm that was last year. so hopefully campers all in before day trippers arrive at midday

Have fun

[shoptildrop]

This shows tents in the main bit next to the path as you went towards the boutique camping - no one is squeezed in even here

[shoptildrop]

We have a map!! Looks like they have taken notice of the feedback on soundbleed from the Orbit stage v Lovell which is great news.

Also a yoga type retreat area in the trees too lol

 

[dingbat2]

Took the family last year, it was great, the kids absolutely loved it and always talk about it

Family camping was good, quite I bit of space, and it looks like they have extended it this year looking at the map, and its a wonderful field because you are right next to the Lovell telescope so have a great view when you open your tent up first thing in the morning and when its all lit up at night. Its the furthest camping field from the car parks and the arena, but its still no distance at all to be honest.

Kids keep bugging me to go again, and we are seriously considering booking again. Might just see what the weather is going to be like first, I suspect the site could get quite muddy with a lot of rain. Hopefully they wont sell out this weekend

For anyone who didn't go last year, I would recommend the Luminarium, its a wonderful place, but definitely go as soon as your tent is pitched on Friday because the queues to get in were horrendous the rest of the weekend. also nice to see the Orbit Stage moved into the other field, although it was great last year because I could quickly flick between JMJ and Floating Points because the stages were so close together

Edited June 30, 2017 by dingbat2

[the wonderwhy]

Just got day tickets for Saturday. Absolutely no idea how we're going to get back to Manchester, mind 

[eFestivals]

15 hours ago, shoptildrop said:

looks like they have been listening to feedback

they definitely have - I got politely quizzed to death about/around a minor gripe I raised, and then was invited to provide (as profitable-to-me) my suggested solution within their facilities (which I had to decline as i don't have time to even to start to think about branching into something new).

In nearly 20 years of writing about festivals, that was a rather unique and positive experience.

The other gripe I raised they can't do anything about - the M6 on a Friday afternoon.

[dingbat2]

Did they ever explain why they moved it to during school term time this year, it did seem a very odd decision as there was so much emphasis on educating kids and having fun

Saying that we have asked the boys' school if it was ok to take them out of school for a couple of days, and they said it's ok, it will go down as unauthorised absence but they won't make an issue unless you do it a few times. I think they will learn more at bluedot than they would at school really

[Paul ™]

13 hours ago, MattDavies__ said:

Just got day tickets for Saturday. Absolutely no idea how we're going to get back to Manchester, mind 

They are doing coach day ticket packages

[shoptildrop]

13 hours ago, MattDavies__ said:

Just got day tickets for Saturday. Absolutely no idea how we're going to get back to Manchester, mind 

Coaches back are the best bet as pretty good for coming back to both Manchester and Stockport... you'll be fine just pre book 

[shoptildrop]

5 hours ago, eFestivals said:

they definitely have - I got politely quizzed to death about/around a minor gripe I raised, and then was invited to provide (as profitable-to-me) my suggested solution within their facilities (which I had to decline as i don't have time to even to start to think about branching into something new).

In nearly 20 years of writing about festivals, that was a rather unique and positive experience.

The other gripe I raised they can't do anything about - the M6 on a Friday afternoon.

Well yeah you can see straight away they have

Campsite opening earlier 

Stages moved in particular the Orbit stage that has terrible sound bleed

Splitting up mission control

An app which will have times on!!

M6 is shit lol... we're local so the only thing I've got to worry about is getting past m60/a34 rush hour on Friday morning 

[DDave]

For what it's worth I think the Friday main stage line up is 'effin great. Marc Riley, Meilyr Jones, Moonlandingz, Jane Weaver, Ezra Furman, the Pixies all on one stage. Add in Leftfield and Vitalic in Orbit and that makes a brilliant days festival for me.

[Zoo Music Girl]

Good news that they moved that stage. Seemed a bit mad where it was before, although easy to skip between acts! Sad I'm not going this year and quite jealous of you all. See Orbital for me

May return next year, line-up depending...

[the wonderwhy]

2 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

They are doing coach day ticket packages

 

1 hour ago, shoptildrop said:

Coaches back are the best bet as pretty good for coming back to both Manchester and Stockport... you'll be fine just pre book 

None for Manchester on Saturday. Just Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester & Warrington 

[shoptildrop]

1 hour ago, MattDavies__ said:

 

None for Manchester on Saturday. Just Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester & Warrington 

You could get a train to Goostrey as seems pretty close but not sure what time they run until

Alternatively contact Bluedot if they know which coaches might be available 

[the wonderwhy]

1 minute ago, shoptildrop said:

You could get a train to Goostrey as seems pretty close but not sure what time they run until

Alternatively contact Bluedot if they know which coaches might be available 

Yeah I've looked into trains, last one is 23:27 which might be doable but is going to be very tight. Reckon we might just get a taxi to the airport as we can get a stagecoach bus from there 

[shoptildrop]

2 hours ago, MattDavies__ said:

Yeah I've looked into trains, last one is 23:27 which might be doable but is going to be very tight. Reckon we might just get a taxi to the airport as we can get a stagecoach bus from there 

Yeah that's gonna be tight but least can use it on the way there and as you say take taxi to airport and get bus or train from there....

Make sure you go to the loo before you set off and take some water

Have fun 

[dingbat2]

As I suspected I would, and after a significant amount of pestering from my boys, I have just bought weekend tickets for the family. Kids really excited, now to check the bands I havent heard of before....

 

All excited, cant wait now!