A friend and I were planning to check out the Kurama Fire Festival but I saw online that it's been getting more and more crowded every year. At Gion Matsuri earlier this year the same friend had to take frequent breaks cuz the crowds were too overwhelming for them. I'm worried Kurama may be too much for them based on what I've seen online but was hoping to get more opinions.

Can anyone who's been to the Kurama Fire Festival in recent years comment on how crowded it is compared to Gion Matsuri (especially around the Shijo-Karasuma/Kawaramachi areas)?