Source: eventindustrynews.co.uk

Organisers of the Bloodstock Festival in Derbyshire have spoken to Event Industry News about their continued growth following the granting of a new license that takes its capacity up to 15,000. The new figure allows for a 25% increase in attendance based on last year’s 12,000 capacity.

Speaking to Event Industry News ahead of the event, which takes place between 8th-11th August, Rachael Greenfield said that the festival has grown organically since first being held in 2001.

“I’ve been involved since the beginning when my father Paul Gregory started Bloodstock. What started as an indoor event for 700 people has consistently grown over the last 13 years in to the animal that it is today, giving us a rollercoaster ride along the way as we’ve learned the do’s and don’ts of running a music festival.”

“Last year our capacity was 12,000”, said Rachael. “Three years prior to that it was 8,000, so the figures speak for themselves. We estimate that 75% of customers return each year, and it is those customers that have helped to shape the festival and create the atmosphere and dynamic that it now has.”

Educating themselves on an ongoing basis since the start, in 2008 the organisers made a calculated decision to step up a level, employing the services of a new production company that, in Rachael’s words, were ‘first class’. Part of this decision to step up a level also included bringing security specialist Showsec onboard, a move that has had a positive effect on several aspects of the show, not just the security.

“Showsec’s experience in working on events that are considerably larger than ours has been invaluable. We work closely with Richard Church on our security plans and since beginning our relationship with them in 2008, Richard and his team have proved a major asset to Bloodstock. Their staff are extremely easy to work with and have a great understanding and appreciation for the type of crowd that attends the festival, which has huge benefits to maintaining a safe and friendly environment.”

As the festival has grown, so has the stature of the bands that the organisers have been able to book, which in turn has contributed to the positive effect on the attendance figures. Artist booking is the responsibility of Vicky Hungerford, who like Rachael has been involved from day one. People unfamiliar with the scene may be unaware of just how many genres fall in to the category of music called ‘Metal’, which she says can prove tricky when trying to programme the stages.

“Bloodstock started as a power metal festival, but over the years has grown to embrace all genres of metal such as thrash, death metal, black metal etc..”