Attendees of the 90s Fest in Sheffield have described the event as a 'shambles', with hour-long queues for toilets, overcrowding, and inadequate disabled access. The three-day festival, held at Don Valley Bowl, featured acts including 2 Unlimited, Chicane, and Judge Jules, but many festivalgoers have vowed not to return for the 2027 edition.
VIP ticket holders face overcrowding
Michael Osbourne and his wife Yvette, who have attended the festival five times, paid £115 for VIP tickets. However, they discovered that non-VIP attendees could access the VIP area, leading to overcrowding. Osbourne said they 'literally couldn't get into' the toilets in their Super VIP area, where hundreds were 'crammed in'. He also reported six queues for the bar, each with around 50 people waiting.
Disabled access issues
Wheelchair users Amy Atherton and Mary Rawlinson said they were restricted to one spot for six hours because there was no disabled platform. They also paid for VIP tickets but will not return. Savannah Wright from Sheffield told the BBC that some people waited an hour and a half for the toilets.
Organisers and council respond
A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said: 'Organisers have welcomed constructive feedback to help support the continued development and improvement of future events.' Councillor Mark Rusling added: 'We would like to assure attendees that all future events in the city will continue to be monitored to make sure standards are high. The council met with the festival organisers and at no stage was the event considered to present a risk to public safety.' Metro has contacted the organisers of 90s Fest for comment.
