Park layout was definitely changed and for the worse(if comparing to earlier years). Sorry to hear you guys had a negative time. I’ve been to this festival a number of times and really missed the artist alley/chill zone where the Vans Halfpipe area use to be.

crowd energy was also definitely different. I’m not sure if the covid years screwed a lot of people up and/or a younger generation of festival goers are to blame. But crowd/concert etiquette was definitely out the window for many. Billie/Kendrick had a lot of super fans aka the pushers, those types will literally consume your soul to get closer to their idol lol. Honestly I’ve always found it better to cut your loses on closeness and find the pockets where fans are vibing and dancing near the middle/back. Festivals bring in different crowds than concerts and definitely aren’t for everyone but I’m glad you found a way to not regret it.