Bilbao BBK 2023

[VCF]

Not particularly fussed about this but if that’s like last year, we should expect at least 2 more headliner-sized acts.

And some decent international acts.

[DarthSaul]

This festival used to be so strong top to bottom, strange direction they've taken. Is it the competition from Mad Cool? 

[DDave]

6 minutes ago, DarthSaul said:

This festival used to be so strong top to bottom, strange direction they've taken. Is it the competition from Mad Cool? 

Inflation, cost of living, etc etc. 

Still good value for less than 50 quid a day. 

[DarthSaul]

7 minutes ago, DDave said:

Inflation, cost of living, etc etc. 

Still good value for less than 50 quid a day. 

Imo the lineups shifted a few years ago, pre covid and everything thats come after

[xxialac]

This festival is going downhill fast - the last three years have been progressively weaker.

[Rico_Pliskin]

22 minutes ago, xxialac said:

This festival is going downhill fast - the last three years have been progressively weaker.

They had a fantastic day last year though.

Caribou - moderat - LCD Soundsystem  w/ placebo in between them.

 

But yes I agree, only name I'd like to check out is 070 shake and Tinariwin

Edited November 15, 2022 by Rico_Pliskin

[xxialac]

23 minutes ago, Rico_Pliskin said:

They had a fantastic day last year though.

Caribou - moderat - LCD Soundsystem  w/ placebo in between them.

 

But yes I agree, only name I'd like to check out is 070 shake and Tinariwin

Totally agree but the other two days were pretty weak IMO.

[VCF]

Yeah, they seem to rely more and more on local acts to fill up their undercard, and you end up with days like this year’s Friday and Saturday who were decent enough but with nothing particularly interesting before 9pm.

I’m yet to see a better festival day than that Thursday though.

Edited November 15, 2022 by VCF

[jannybruck]

Think it's alright. Three strong headliners that are big enough to headline plenty of other EU festivals. It'll fill out like previous years once more undercards start confirming whereabouts for next summer, though I do suspect Mad Cool are now throwing more and more money around at mid level acts which means they've probably got fewer to choose from.

Had friends who went last year and said it was one of the best Spanish festivals they've been to in terms of vibe and beautiful location.

[Giovanni]

5 hours ago, jannybruck said:

Think it's alright. Three strong headliners that are big enough to headline plenty of other EU festivals. It'll fill out like previous years once more undercards start confirming whereabouts for next summer, though I do suspect Mad Cool are now throwing more and more money around at mid level acts which means they've probably got fewer to choose from.

Had friends who went last year and said it was one of the best Spanish festivals they've been to in terms of vibe and beautiful location.

BBK Live is a way smaller festival than MC in terms of capacity, no wonder MC's line-ups are stronger. Location and atmosphere are indeed great, the organisation was also smooth last year. Bilbao is awesome too and the northern weather is less cruel than Madrid's scorching heat.

BBK 2023: it's okayish for now, there's surely a lot more to come in the undercard and I'd expect a few headline or co-headline acts too.

[Sarahw2]

9 hours ago, jannybruck said:

Think it's alright. Three strong headliners that are big enough to headline plenty of other EU festivals. It'll fill out like previous years once more undercards start confirming whereabouts for next summer, though I do suspect Mad Cool are now throwing more and more money around at mid level acts which means they've probably got fewer to choose from.

Had friends who went last year and said it was one of the best Spanish festivals they've been to in terms of vibe and beautiful location.

If you don't like to deal with overcrowding, ques at bars and toilets and nightmare to get home then BBK is the festival to go to. Its a great weekend away. 

Madcool has great line ups but I just found it to be a logistical nightmare and wouldn't want to repeat.

[clasher]

9 hours ago, jannybruck said:

Think it's alright. Three strong headliners that are big enough to headline plenty of other EU festivals. It'll fill out like previous years once more undercards start confirming whereabouts for next summer, though I do suspect Mad Cool are now throwing more and more money around at mid level acts which means they've probably got fewer to choose from.

There's usually a lot of crossover between BBK, Mad Cool and NOS Alive.

[Shieki Kiki]

Do they usually sell day tickets for BBK? 

[Chrundle The Great]

Sorry if I’m being thick here but doesn’t this read as though Florence and Chems aren’t headliners?

[Sparticus]

23 hours ago, Sarahw2 said:

If you don't like to deal with overcrowding, ques at bars and toilets and nightmare to get home then BBK is the festival to go to. Its a great weekend away. 

Madcool has great line ups but I just found it to be a logistical nightmare and wouldn't want to repeat.

Which year did you go? We're looking at it for next year and heard mixed reports from early years, but then they listened to the feedback and it improved greatly? 

[Sarahw2]

25 minutes ago, Sparticus said:

Which year did you go? We're looking at it for next year and heard mixed reports from early years, but then they listened to the feedback and it improved greatly? 

2018. I seen a lot of complaints about it this year though. I heard they are changing the location of it is changing for next year so maybe that might change things. 

[jannybruck]

58 minutes ago, Chrundle The Great said:

Sorry if I’m being thick here but doesn’t this read as though Florence and Chems aren’t headliners?

Yeah, you're misreading. Arctics were announced first, as in before the others were. Florence and Chems are definitely the other headliners.

[WFD]

11 minutes ago, Sarahw2 said:

2018. I seen a lot of complaints about it this year though. I heard they are changing the location of it is changing for next year so maybe that might change things. 

We did all five days this year and didn't have much to complain about - would have been nice to have the shuttle buses pick up closer to the exit but could see why they put them where they did.  The communications were very last minute but once you were there it was fine - wristband pick-up was a doddle, never waited long for a drink and the toilets were fine.  The food queues were horrendous at peak times but we quickly learned to work around that.

We'd go again next year if it was in the same location, but opted for Bilbao firstly for it being a new festival for us, and secondly to see how Mad Cool's location pans out.

 

[clasher]

1 hour ago, Sparticus said:

Which year did you go? We're looking at it for next year and heard mixed reports from early years, but then they listened to the feedback and it improved greatly? 

First day of 2018 was a complete clusterfuck, the rest was much better. This year was probably the best run festival I've been to when you were on site (great sound, no queues for drinks, good toilet situation, astroturf is great, decent food options, just need avoiding at peak times). Getting home could be a bit of pain in the ass.

They're switching venues again though - and that, combined with their notoriously lousy PR, could be a bit of a gamble.

[DarthSaul]

9 hours ago, clasher said:

First day of 2018 was a complete clusterfuck, the rest was much better. This year was probably the best run festival I've been to when you were on site (great sound, no queues for drinks, good toilet situation, astroturf is great, decent food options, just need avoiding at peak times). Getting home could be a bit of pain in the ass.

They're switching venues again though - and that, combined with their notoriously lousy PR, could be a bit of a gamble.

Best run festival except turning off mobile wristband top ups during the day meaning no queues for drinks as noone could spend money but huge queues to put the cash on! Otherwise all agreed !

[Chrundle The Great]

10 hours ago, jannybruck said:

Yeah, you're misreading. Arctics were announced first, as in before the others were. Florence and Chems are definitely the other headliners.

I thought that might have been the case. Still a strong trio and probably enough to tempt me away from Primavera after the shambles of the first night this year.

[misterplow]

28 minutes ago, Chrundle The Great said:

I thought that might have been the case. Still a strong trio and probably enough to tempt me away from Primavera after the shambles of the first night this year.

The Chemical Brothers feel a bit weak for a headliner. Isn’t that the dance name after the actual headliner?

 

[Rico_Pliskin]

7 minutes ago, misterplow said:

The Chemical Brothers feel a bit weak for a headliner. Isn’t that the dance name after the actual headliner?

 

Last time they played they were a co headliner to the XX. 2018 was a great year.

Childish Gambino randomly dropping by in a late announcement.

David Byrne was amazing.

 

 

Edited November 17, 2022 by Rico_Pliskin

[Sarahw2]

I would highly recommend Cala Mijaes festival from the same organisers as BBK. They have an announcent today. They put on an amazing first year this year. I have flights and accommodation booked since the week of the festival.

[clasher]

53 minutes ago, DarthSaul said:

Best run festival except turning off mobile wristband top ups during the day meaning no queues for drinks as noone could spend money but huge queues to put the cash on! Otherwise all agreed !

Yes forgot about that. Didn't really have a problem as I topped up heavily in the start and had to refill only once. Waited less than 10 minutes for that. Waited a couple of months to get a refund though.