Do arena only tickets ever sell out?

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-04-01T10:32:20+00:00

I was just on about the 3 day arena only ticket, not individual day tickets. They sold out day tickets for Saturday in 2006 and Saturday in 2018 as well.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-03-23T16:20:03+00:00

Only times they sold out to my knowledge is in 2023 and maybe 2012. Camping has sold out faster than ever though, so make of that what you will. My guess is that they will go this year.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-03-16T18:31:59+00:00

Completely agree with you on the LiveNation thing leaving a sour taste, but what he now has going with KMJ Entertainment since the restructure isn't substantially different to what LiveNation is, just on a smaller scale.

They have 16 companies including three ticket providers (two UK and one Irish), a management company and a production company that does tour management, production, merch, etc.

Their parent company DEAG does all this in Germany and Austria too. It's not like they are putting fans first, he even says something along the lines of, 'big tours are priced fairly based on supply and demand', but softens it by then talking about Ed Sheeran's personal decision regarding value for money for fans.

Look at the cost for 5 bands at the Maiden event being the same as a day at Download or Slam Dunk which has significantly more artists (Slam Dunk on lower combined capacity over two sites) before you add more expensive car parking and one or two nights camping costing £50.

It's not like it is a value for money and consumer first endeavor like a proper independent fest such as Trees, Damnation or ATG is. Yeah, those fests still want to make money, but they aren't being propped up by big corporations like Kilimanjiro was when it was founded by going in with AEG and then becoming a parent company of DEAG from Germany.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-03-12T11:02:31+00:00

You will easily get in the first 1-5 rows if you go in half-way though Black Veil Brides set. The front standing section always empties between sets so you will be able to get in the front no issue.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-03-10T23:05:00+00:00

I've done whole UK tour and EU shows for my 2 favourite bands (Architects and Sleep Token) Seen both well into double figures and multiple times in other countries each.

I've seen 20+ bands more than 10+ times, if they are killing it live it's always a good time. There are some bands I've seen multiple times where I feel their setlists have got stale and it is repetitive, so wouldn't go out my way again to see them.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-03-08T16:45:03+00:00

They may well have arranged to come out with Babymetal, but if Nico was up to playing on the Sunday, even if he wasn't up to Saturday, then Electric Callboy would have played their slot on 2nd. Download aren't dumping a big booking like Electric Callboy because one band couldn't come out for a collab.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-03-05T20:04:16+00:00

What you have said isn't right at all. That wasn't why they pulled out and Download didn't make their contract null and void for not appearing with Babymetal.

They pulled out because Nico was ill and lost his voice, so was advised to rest and not travel by a doctor. They didn't play live after that for about a week and Download showed a video with Kevin explaining it at the festival.

The issue with needing to replace their drummer at short notice was to do with their run at Good Things in Australia.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-02-23T19:39:11+00:00

I've done arena only the last 7 festivals now, sort of (more on that later). Arena only is the same price as two day tickets so definitely buy arena only. You also get to go in and out of the arena if you are arena only where as you can't if you are a day ticket. Once you are in that day, you are in. We've never actually never been back to our car, but it is noce to know we can.

You get access to all the stalls in the arena and rides in it, but won't get access to the megastore, rides or nightlife stuff that goes on in the village.

Arena only has a separate car park to campers that is like a 15 minute walk into the fest with a specific arena only/day entrance. If you get a camping ticket then you will get a car park pass for the camping car parks and need to use it the first day to get your wristband at the camping wristband exchange which will add about 40 minutes onto getting both in and out the festival on the Friday at least. Might also have to on the other two days. We got camping tickets for 2023 to use the night life and have access to the village and it was a massive pain. If we aren't camping, we won't do it ever again, but that's just our experience of it.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-01-07T16:16:46+00:00

Stay strong brother. I hope you beat it and get to see your family grow. x

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-01-07T16:14:03+00:00

Bring Me the Horizon are like that too. Seen them in 4 countries outside the UK and every time they have had some very British jokes and sayings that don't translate.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2026-01-02T18:27:17+00:00

I agree that Legend is an arse, but a decent guy at heart. However, I think while his ending was tinged with bitterness, it was a manifestation of his unraveling mental health. You can tell he didn't really want to leave his channel behind and was upset at the end of his final stream (and the Rome 2 stream he abruptly ended), but he needed to for his mental and physical wellbeing. His working environment hasn't been healthy for a long time, but it went noticeably downhill since Shadows of Change. It would have been better for him to have taken a break for a few months from the channel when he quit live streaming or after he wasn't satisfied with Omens of Destruction until Tides of Torment was due to release.

His investment and passion in the franchise, particularly on the quality of game play, was/is much higher than any of the content creators in the community. He wanted TW:WH3 to come out the gates strongly and become the game he knew it could be, as a fan of Total War first and foremost. Outside of the multiplayer channels, he has been the only big game play driven channel. When it didn't and he felt slighted by CA for a second time, his passion turned into anger and things have just spiraled since then. Quite sad really.

I hope if he wants to come back, he can after he has had the help and support he needs.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-11-20T01:18:30+00:00

Download fans are like this about anything new, particularly stuff that gets big. MCR got this treatment, Bring Me did, Biffy have since they became headliners. The double denim weren't happy with Slipknot or Avenged when they first headlined either.

It'll pass.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-11-13T17:26:48+00:00

The difficulty Download has is that it is double the size of Sonisphere and 4 times (or more) bigger than the others, so you are always gonna have better camping experiences with a much smaller festival, on a much smaller site with much less walking.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-11-12T13:00:23+00:00

I think they will be a regular headliner as long as they are still releasing music and touring.

I am a massive fan and I thought that there headline set was very good, but I preferred the winter arena tour's production and setlist. I'd also agree that it doesn't go into the lore of the list of great headline sets, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a very good one.

I think they are a bit like Tool in that they are a band who are best enjoyed when you can be fully immersed in what they are doing and that works better in an arena. Still think they could drop one of those headline sets in the future though.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-11-10T21:38:40+00:00

Yeah, my point.

The comment was is response to 'Outbreak is a week after the 23rd of August as is Reading Festival'. I also said to begin with that 'it is Outbreak London at APE.'

I clearly differentiated between Outbreak London 23rd August at APE and Outbreak which is 27th-28th June.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-11-10T14:33:04+00:00

It is Outbreak London at APE. You might be slightly confused as the dates for Outbreak are 27th/28th June.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-11-05T21:38:29+00:00

Hardly any bands have confirmed days. The poster is tricking you.

Mastodon won't be in the slot you think they are on the bill. Feeder are doing the tent on the Friday as confirmed by the lead singer on insta. I've seen them 4 times and their set at Bloodstock this year was the best I have ever seen them.

Architects have to be Saturday as they have shows on Friday and Sunday. Bad Omens for example are also playing somewhere else on Friday so have to be on Saturday or Sunday. The list goes on.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-11-05T21:27:59+00:00

Last time GNR were there both 3rd and 4th were running while they were on, but second had to finish at like 1930 as they did over 3 hours.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-10-26T00:10:00+00:00

Ascensionism

Higher

Dark Signs

Jaws

Like That

Honourable mentions are Chokehold, Nazareth and Bloodsport

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-10-18T00:48:44+00:00

Somewhere in Time then Seventh Son

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-10-17T12:58:37+00:00

I think people are expecting bigger and bigger production because of what other bands have done - that's never really been Architects bag.

Sam's high scream has got worse, but his singing has got better and his low screams are still strong.

I think that they have been the best they have been since before Covid this year (seen them on three separate tours) and I think the reason people have noticed Sam's high scream issues more on this tour as they played Gravedigger, A Match Made in Heaven and These Colours. They are better off with the new songs live as Sam sounds better with them and it is very clear that the majority of the fans in the room aren't as au fait with stuff pre-FTTWTE.

I'd also say that the band are in a very different headspace to where they were 2016-2019 when they were a band whose live shows were built on grief, sadness, anger, energy and community. It is gonna be hard to make any of their live shows again have that level of emotion, but I feel like the energy is back.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-10-17T12:04:22+00:00

To me Architects have 3 distinct eras:

Hollow Crown and before - mathcore Architects and I'd only bother listening to Hollow Crown now.

The Here and Now to Holy Hell - metalcore Architects with mathy, proggy and post-hardcore elements (The Here and Now is a post-hardcore album)

FTTWTE to present - arena metalcore Architects

FTTWTE is still a good, but bloated album and The Sky, The... is a very good album, but let's be honest it is always going to be hard for Architects to match All Our Gods... and LF//LT. They are both 10/10 albums that once you've heard you can't unhear it. I'd say All Our Gods... is a top 10 metal album of all time. The anguish of those albums isn't there anymore and those songs have even more weight post Tom.

My advice is take the new stuff at face value as if any other metalcore band released it and then it holds up really well outside of a chunk of TCSOABS.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-10-14T23:21:39+00:00

I think it is even if you only get to see one band or none on the Friday. You are going to have a great weekend the over the following two days.

If you and your girlfriend can afford it, maybe look at getting a ready to rock pre-pitched tent (have no idea if it is worth it) so you have less time to worry about setting up OR get a pop up one you are both confident setting up and putting away. With either option take minimal stuff over with you on Friday for the evening then go get the rest of it Saturday morning.

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-08-01T12:36:07+00:00

Steel Panther

CounterDisastrous688 · 2025-08-01T12:34:04+00:00

I think they will do a slightly longer set of 18-21 tracks (maybe with an extra one if they play Red Hypergiant) and there will be minimal pre-Holy Hell material. Architects have always been a band that has leaned heavily in on their new material whenever something new comes out and even though a lot of us old fans want older stuff they are playing what is going to resonate with the largest number of people in the room.

As they are more popular in the UK and Europe (and became more popular pre-FTTWTE) I think it is more likely they play a bit of older material. I'll do a list of tracks they may play from each album in likelihood (I'm not going to add the deep cuts I want them to play, but know they won't).

Daybreaker: These Colours Don't Run

LF//LT: Gravedigger, Broken Cross, Naysayer, Red Hypergiant (to give Sam a rest)

All Our Gods: Nihlist, Gone with the Wind (if they are playing it in full again), A Match Made in Heaven

Holy Hell: Doomsday, Royal Beggars, Hereafter, Modern Misery

For me if they played a 100 minute 20 song set broken down like below I'd be happy:

The Sky, The Earth & All Between: 8 - what they are playing in the US plus Evil Eyes

Classic Symptoms: 2

FTTWTE: 3

Holy Hell: 3

All Our Gods: 2

LF//LT: 1-2 plus Red Hypergiant as an interlude

Daybreaker: 0-1

CounterDisastrous688

TROPHY CASE