• Replies 2 replies
  • Subscribers 31 subscribers
  • Views 951 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Is Download Festival accessible for us?

AncientLabyrinth

Hi my name is Ruby and I am 26. I love music. I go to as many gigs as I can to see my favourite bands and artists. I can manage gigs because even though it's crowded, it's only for a short space of time, and the pay off is worth it. I tend to try to get there early and leave early if I can to avoid the crowds. I can go home to my own bed. 

I have never been to a music festival. I have always wanted to go to one. Every year I get FOMO when I see people posting on social media having gone to one.

This year, the line up for Download festival looks fantastic. I'm wondering whether I should give it a go, but there are lots of potential issues I'll need to consider. It is important to note that I would likely go there on my own.

I struggle with crowds, noise, and mud, so not off to a good start. The feeling of being dirty is horrible. I would ideally need to be in one of the quiet areas and would want to stand somewhere I can escape easily. 

I've noticed Download says they have a disabled campsite area. Has anyone here had any experience of using this? I read an article online that the disabled area wasn't as accessible as it claimed to be. Does anyone have any advice on what to look into in terms of what accommodations they can provide? I am trying to work out whether this will be feasible before I even decide to buy a ticket. If I decide there are more cons than pros (there are a lot of bands playing which I would love to see Live), I'll just stick to going to gigs where I can get the train home after. I've looked into their VIP packages as I think I'd find that a lot easier than camping, but most of thier packages are for bigger groups of people. Any advice would be appreciated. 

  • Hi I think a lot of the accessibility complaints last year were from wheelchair users and also the disabled campsite being oversold. There were also a lot of traffic problems last year (people stuck in their cars all day) because the festival started earlier but the camps didn’t open earlier but I think it’s back to 3 days this year so hopefully that won’t be an issue again. You could try the quiet camping area but I’m not sure there would be anywhere in the arena designated as quiet but they often have the Samaritans and medical tents in amongst the shop area at the back if you need help. I think you have to contact directly if you want to ask about the disabled area. My friend uses a wheelchair and she has to phone up to book tickets to gigs etc, she can’t usually book online for the wheelchair viewing platform. They may allow you access if you struggle in crowds but sometimes the platform is quite far away and not well angled at the screens either. As festivals go I always found Download to have quite a chilled atmosphere although I haven’t been for a while but there was always a huge difference compared to the festivals occurring in school holidays. I think the best thing to do would be to contact their disability booking team and see what they can provide for you

  • I go to festivals but they are mostly in door ones. Indoor music festivals do exist and are much more comfortable.