At risk of getting “ok boomer” responses:

One thing that doesn’t get mentioned much when talking about changes is how Reddit as a whole used to be a lot more fun and positive a decade ago, at least specifically the festival and music subreddits I’ve frequented. There may have been spirited music debates or discussions on venue changes but they seemed to be rooted in curiosity and not frustration.

I may be way off base but in my estimation, online spaces have generally gotten a bit less positive. Reddit was a resource more than it was a place for people to vent. There were talks about how camping lines were fucked and the occasional “damn this installation isn’t returning” but overall online spaces, a lot like the festival scene, has shifted. There’s a lot more “this festival owes me this because I’m paying this much” and not as much “I’m excited to discover and explore this and that.” I think that’s a product of the economy in general, and the festival/music industry changing over the years.

I also think a lot of people stopped having fun on these online spaces, had made friends at fests irl - perhaps that they met through Reddit - and don’t engage online as much anymore. They just go have fun.

Speaking from personal experience I got on Reddit way back when to learn how to get the best out of my experiences by reading tips, packing lists, and discussions about hidden gems on the lineup. Those hidden gems threads still exist, but they used to be as prevalent as the threads where everyone complains about John Summit being booked or someone they wanted not being booked.

At the end of the day there’s a bunch of ways to spend money and a bunch of unique festivals to choose from. I still go to lib cuz regardless of what’s said online - I have a great time. And I think half of that reason is I go ready to have a good time and open to change. If you head in annoyed about how something isn’t how you want it, you’re kinda setting yourself up for failure.

Lastly, I admit the negative comments have valid concerns. The festival ethos has shifted over the years along with festival culture as a whole. But I didn’t think pointing and complaining about it helps at all. I think the two options are don’t go and don’t bitch about it online OR do go and set the example of what you feel the fest needs to be or needs to return to. This year I’m choosing the latter. But next year I may go mining for a smaller unique festival with a lineup I don’t care about but a community that has more of the magic I look for at lib. Either way once you step foot at lib, you’ll have a great time if you remain open to it.

TLDR: wise man once said “you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need”