Felt like a criminal on arrival
Slayer; Finsbury Pk, July 2025: The extremely heavy handed security and unnecessary presence of SNIFFER DOGS at an outdoor FESTIVAL is the first thing anyone will have noticed on arrival. If a dog paid you any attention as you walked through the increasingly narrowing, high-walled, prison camp-like access corridors you were pulled aside to a "further investigation" queue, already snaking around a maze of barriers and a 20 minute wait at my time of arrival. For no apparent reason - perhaps one of the dogs smelled my own dog's scent on my clothes - I was pulled aside for further investigation. In another enclosed area you were rudely frisked, told to turn out all your pockets, to remove your shoes and socks(!) and had all your belongings searched. Although I had nothing on me, as an eyewitness and having spoken to others who went through this experience there was no amnesty for "declaring" anything you may have had on your person. If you were found to have any drugs you were ejected from the festival. I've heard of zero tolerance but this was intimidating, unpleasant, completely unnecessary and not an ideal way to start a fun day in the park.This was at a metal gig FFS, not a rave! It was as if they were expecting hordes of unscrupulous drug gangs to descend on the festival with bags of pills to sell to festival-goers. WRONG EVENT! God forbid you actually try to enjoy yourself in any way that doesn't include paying the price of a mortgage for a couple of warm beers, which most metallers will do anyway.Sh**ty experience. Will never attend a FR event again.
adam pudney
Rude Management and unfair ticket pricing
1 star cos had to put one.I paid extra for VIP package.VIP area was opened up to everyone on the day.Resulting in queues for toilets 25mins excessive wait times at bars and a rammed viewing area with no benefits compared to standard ticket.I raised the issue along with many others to management onsite to be dismissed they were very rude.I have since complained to event organisers weareliverepublic and skiddle where I purchased tickets to be ignored. Im extremely disappointed and disgusted at management's lack of customer service skills and avoidance.
Colette Barlow
An hour queueing to get in!
Poor experience at Finsbury Park - arrived at suggested entrance, told by security to re-route to another 10m away for no reason, then long queues to enter, in pens, slow security & ticket checks it took us 60m to get into the gig at the wrong end of park so we missed the support act. Tickets overpriced for a single artist gig. Emailed Festival Republic got a rude, dismissive response - no apology.
Rebecca
None of my neighbours have ever received a resident ticket
Lived in our flat right next to Crystal Palace Park for 3 years, we’ve applied for the resident ballot each year and never received tickets. None of our neighbours have either. It takes me 10 seconds to walk to the park. This year we were offered to volunteer at a lost property tent instead. Honestly what a con. Why would we do that when they can pay someone to do that work, considering they are sold out events. No wonder these festivals are no longer popular with residents. Locals can’t attend and they ruin our parks. Will be writing to local MP to address issue.
Lucy Banks
Not responding to emails - invalid loyalty code
Not responding to emails.Promoting a loyalty scheme for repeat Latitude visitors - so I registered, was accepted and received a booking code to use. This is worth £100 off my next Latitude ticket purchase 2025. All seemed good - but the code does not work. Ticketmaster confirms it is not valid and says to contact Festival Republic - but there is no response. The offer is only open on bookings up to 9th October 2025, so I am running out of time!
SueJ
Disabled customers matter too!
I've been chasing festival republic for weeks now regarding access needs for a gig I want to go to. They never reply. I've emailed. I've sent an Instagram message. I've left a voicemail. It's 2024 guys, please try and help your disabled customers! Not cool
Hannah
Took over a month and several emails to…
Took over a month and several emails to respond, then were blunt and kind of rude without answering half the questions. Really not looking forward to this event now. As their entry rules are incredibly strict yet a family event where some of the limited items would be required, not bothered to explain accessibility or anything whatsoever. Being such a large event seems really off-putting to attend as a family now where we just don't know what to expect or if we can meet our families needs. Really pointless to call yourself customer service if you have none.
Wutwut
Bloc Party
I recently attended a Bloc Party gig at Crystal Palace organised by Festival Republic and it was a sham from beginning to end. The entrance queuing system was chaotic and frankly bizarre, stretching half a mile down the high street, past the station (where every train load of revellers pushed straight in) and then through the park. Upon entry I had my rucksack and umbrella confiscated for no good reason, leaving me to hold all my possessions in the muddy puddle of a rainy field all evening long. I was told that if I upgraded to a VIP ticket I could keep my bag and umbrella (completely bananas), which I chose not to do. They later destroyed my perfectly good rucksack so that I couldn’t even attempt to collect it… wow.Despite the nonsensical confiscation of totally inoffensive items, the security didn’t even bother to check my pockets.. could have snuck anything in had I wanted. Inside the event, the bars also had intense and disorganised queuing systems, no visible menu to choose from and a poor selection of second rate canned drinks. They ran out of cup holders quite early on, which made carrying the pre opened cans another unwelcome mission. The bars were also all placed together in the same area as oppose to dotted around for ease of access. Same story with the toilets. All but one of the bars shut at 9pm with an hr and a half left to go of the gig and food stopped at 9.50. As with most of these events, the price of food and drink was outrageous (£56 for 4 dried up old burgers and 1 portion of fries). The staff were miserable and made no effort to hide how much they hate their jobs… kettling us out in one 25000 person crowd as soon as the band strummed their final chord, thus creating further havoc and an hour queue to get back to the station. I could do a better job of running a large scale event…
Jo McNulty
Disgraceful company
Disgraceful company. Pulp at Finsbury park was nothing short of a disaster for me as a disabled person. The set up meant I was in agony due to long walk. Best of all they just ignore your complaint, no acknowledgement nothing. I'm planning to write to pulps management company
sue Stubbs
Went to lumineers at crystal palace
Went to lumineers at crystal palace. Website said no big bags but saw plenty. Loads of toilets & lots staff to look after them. Overall impressed. Bar appeared to go fast although I question the amount of gin in the drink. Litter pickers all around. I did smell lots smoke as I first walked in and thought woah.
Andrea
Ridiculous scumy fest and selling…
Ridiculous scumy fest and selling carlsberg as the only beer sad fest
lewis gray
Festival Republic shouldn’t be allowed to organise anything.
Greedy, money grabbing Melvin Benn has done more to ruin UK festivals than anyone else. Pulp on 1st July at Finsbury was a disaster, never seen such long queues for bars, rude, aggressive security, dangerous exits points, audience treated like cattle in pens. Don’t go to anything organised by Festival Republic, a nasty, vile company.
Miles Donovan
Jamie T at Finsbury Park
Jamie T at Finsbury Park. I have never seen so much weed!!! I don't smoke weed; I don't smoke. Security Staff just walking past clouds of weed smoke. How did that stuff even get in, I was approached twice by dealers, yet I couldn't bring in a sealed can of Pepsi!!There were sniffer dogs at the gates and yet I would say for every three disgusting smokers there was at least one smoking weed.Have a smoking area so the clean amongst us don't have to breath second hand smoke. There is clearly a huge drugs problem and this festival only went to encourage drug use as a norm.
Jon Tittley
Worst festival / events company
Worst festival events company I have ever worked for, they put mine and thousands of peoples lives at risk at download festival this year. The lack of general / common knowledge was appalling, so many health and safety violations, it was shocking. The multitude of complaints and bad reviews speak for themselves, they’re awful. FR and Live Nation do not care about peoples well-beings and will happily put you at serious risk
Calli Clifford
Cannot meet the needs of people with access requirements
Terrible - applied for access arrangements months in advance and it’s now less than a week before the event and I have no idea if I can go or not as they haven’t replied to my access request. Have sent two emails to ask for an update, called twice (got voicemail both times) and sent a request via the online form. Absolutely terrible. Wishing I’d not bought a ticket as I’m so anxious about if I’ll be able to go or not and if I need to book transport and everything else that it’s been taking over my thoughts for the last couple of weeks. They have no idea how to support neurodivergent people with access requests and should not offer a service they cannot fulfill.
Rachael
Awful company
Awful company, driven by greed. Throwing perfectly good tents into the rubbish when they could be donated to those who have lost there accommodation. Shame on them altogether. Money talks.
Cassie
Hired a transphobic/homophobic shuttlebus driver
Hired a transphobic/homophobic shuttle bus driver (who owned the main taxi company during event) at an event where most of the performers where drag queens.. absolutely shocking! All sorts of unprovoked abuse was hurled around during the entire Wilderness event.. terms I can't even share on here as they are so un PC. After seeing their boss do this, all the taxi drivers soon followed. This left the drag queens exposed to huge amounts of verbal abuse, mockery and more. These guys don't keep any sort of complaint logs, so despite me passing this on to multiple people in event... nothing will get done.
Joelle Poulos
A genuine disgrace.
A genuine disgrace.Attended a festival in Crystal Palace park in July.1) No shaded areas provided at all, in the middle of the hottest summer on record . Only way to escape the blazing heat was sheltering behind bins/signs etc. There was some tree cover, however that was only for 'VIPS' and we had to pay in order to get there. 2) No access to drinking water. The water from the provided fountains was literally like bath water. It was horrendous.3) x1 Drinks tent to cater to thousands of people. There were 60+ min wait times just for bottled water, largely stood directly in the sun.4) £6+ each for TINS of Budweiser. It's £15 for x18 in the Tescos 2 minutes walk away!!!I have emailed/called Festival Republic roughly 15 times and yet to receive an acknowledgement, let alone an apology.Disgusting, I didn't think companies would be able to run like this in 2022.
charlie
Shambolic
If I could this company -100 I would appalling have no clue on disability pure shocking the way they are so disorganised and treat disabled can’t believe they go under the bbc weekend Verbally abused discriminated put through appalling less favourable treatment
Helen Ruggles
Awful company which I experienced from…
Awful company which I experienced from the Liam Gallagher Knebworth concert. 3 hours to get out of the car park 1 member off staff to wave them out . 2 hours moved 10 meters . I had to sleep for an hour to let the traffic chaos calm down . The organisers want to be a shamed obvs purse strings over staff allocated numbers and safety. Also not enough vendors for food !!
suzann mcintyre
