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Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
All the Brockwell Park music festivals and events still going ahead this month
Despite a recent High Court ruling throwing a wrench in Brockwell Live's planning permissions, the company's Summer Festival Series is set to continue as scheduled, starting from May 23 Brockwell Park 's festival plans were put in jeopardy after a recent High Court ruling. However, Brockwell Live has confirmed that 'no event will be cancelled as a result of the High Court's decision" and that its stacked line-up of summer events will proceed as planned. Brockwell Live's 2025 Summer Festival Series will see back-to-back music festivals and events taking place in Brockwell Park between from the end of May to the beginning of June. The events range from family-friendly favourites like Brockwell Bounce to the massive annual Lambeth Country Show. Wide Awake (May 23) The Summer Series will kick off with Wide Awake, which brands itself as 'an independent festival for music fans looking for something different'. The festival launched in 2021 and is still in its infancy, but is founded by Keith Miller - the booker for London live-music venues MOTH Club and The Shacklewell Arms. The one-day event celebrates independent music and counterculture, and this year's line-up will be headlined by the Irish rap trio, Kneecap, as well as CMAT, English Teacher, Fat Dog, and Peaches. There will be over 45 artists performing at the event across 6 stages, with general admission tickets priced at £69.50. Field Day (May 24) This year Field Day returns to Brockwell Park after retreating to its initial Victoria Park venue for the last three years. Since it launched in 2007, the electronic festival has been known for its impressive line-up of rising star artists and big names acts. But its 2025 event 'marks the beginning of a new chapter'. Will you be attending a festival in Brockwell Park this year? Let us know in the comments. While the festival has faced some controversy with DJs dropping out in the last few weeks, its big headliner is sure to draw major crowds. Leading the line-up is internationally acclaimed DJ Peggy Gou, who is known for her high-energy techno and house beats. Other artists in the line-up include Fatima Yamaha, James Blake and Nicola Bear, with 'more TBA'. Tickets for general admission are priced at £89.50 Cross The Tracks (May 25) Billed as 'the ultimate destination for everything jazz, funk, soul and hip-hop' Cross The Tracks has come to be loved by many South Londoners. In its sixth year, the festival brings together one of its best line-ups to date. Big acts include the Free Nationals, Jordan Rakei, Sinead Harnett, Naomi Sharon and Somewhere Soul, with two Mercury prize -winning headliners in Michael Kiwanuka and Ezra Collective. Tickets are still available with lowest price general admission spots available for £69.50. City Splash (May 26) The bank holiday Monday is reserved for City Splash, which promises to showcase everything from 'Roots and Reggae, Dub and Dancehall, to Jungle, Garage, Afrobeats and Amapiano'. The music and culture fest will be full of great eats as well, partnering with Black Eats LDN to set up a vibrant street food and market. On the music side, the festival will be headlined by Popcaan and feature other artists including Spice, Tarrus Riley, Teejay, Nia Smith and many more. Tickets are still on available with lowest general admission starting at £69.50. Mighty Hoopla (May 31 - June 1) Mighty Hoopla, bills itself as 'the UK's biggest pop festival' and runs across two days. This year, the first day of the festival will be headlined by the iconic Ciara, with planned performances from Jade and and A*Teens. The second day will be headlined by Kesha and features performances from Erika Jayne and Loreen. The lowest price VIP Bolt-On tickets for both days are sold out but you can buy Weekend General Admission tickets from £188 on Stub Hub.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cancelling park festivals would be 'devastating'
Cancelling a series of music festivals would be a "devastating blow" that leaves tens of thousands of people "in limbo", the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has warned. A series of events, including the Mighty Hoopla, Cross The Tracks and Wide Awake, are due to be held at Brockwell Park in south London from 23 May until 8 June. But on Friday, resident Rebekah Shaman won a High Court challenge over the use of the site this summer, after arguing that the council did not have the correct planning permission for the events. A Lambeth Council spokesperson said: "We are currently assessing the impact of this judgment and determining next steps." Michael Kill, chief executive of the NTIA, said cancelling the series of festivals "would directly impact thousands of people... many of whom rely on the summer season to sustain their livelihoods". "The supply chain, from staging and lighting companies to local food and drink vendors, would suffer heavy financial losses," he said. "The local economy - including independent shops, pubs, restaurants, and hotels - which sees a surge in business during these festivals, would be hit hard." Solicitors acting on behalf of the Protect Brockwell Park campaign group have written a letter to Lambeth Council calling for events to be called off. "The effect of the judgment is that the Brockwell Live event does not have planning permission," they said. "As there is no planning permission for the Brockwell Live event, the event has to be cancelled. "The site now has to be made immediately available to the public and cleared of the fencing and infrastructure." Ms Shaman's legal argument centred around planning laws that prohibit changing the use of a park for more than 28 days each year without additional planning consent. Presiding over the case, Mr Justice Mould found that parts of Brockwell Park would be used for these events for as many as 37 days during the series of festivals. The judge said his ruling was only about the lawfulness of the council's decision to grant permission for the additional days - a decision he described as "irrational". Ms Shaman said she did not want to take Lambeth Council to court, but felt as though it was not engaging with residents. "This has been going on for years, it isn't a one-off situation and it has been a consistent deterioration of the park, to the point where the community had to speak up to protect the park for future generations," she said. She added: "We are hoping to come to an agreement where events can still continue, but on a much lower level and also much more connected to the community." Lawyers for Lambeth Council and festival organisers Summer Events Limited both asked for permission to challenge his decision but the judge refused. However, they are still able to ask the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the decision directly. A spokesperson for the organisers said: "Summer Events Limited are considering the judgment concerning Brockwell Live with their legal team. "It would not be appropriate to comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Campaigner wins legal fight over park festivals Campaigners call for end to big festivals in park Event cancelled after park 'churned up' by festivals Lambeth Council Protect Brockwell Park
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Locals launch legal challenge to protect park ahead of major music festivals
The campaign group Protect Brockwell Park have launched a legal challenge against Lambeth Council, arguing large-scale music festivals are 'damaging the ecological fabric of the park' London's Brockwell Park has become a hub for music festivals in recent years, but some Lambeth locals argue they come at the cost of conservation. In the lead up to a summer of back-to-back festivals in the park, a sect of South Londoners have launched a legal challenge against Lambeth Council, saying that the park is being 'overused and under protected.' The local campaign group, Protect Brockwell Park (PBP), issued an open letter to Lambeth Council, calling for an end to 'large-scale, unsustainable events' that are 'damaging the ecological fabric of the park'. On April 9, Protect Brockwell Park sent a pre-action letter to Lambeth Council, notifying them of their intent to initiate court proceedings. The group seeks to challenge the council's decision to allow Brockwell Live's commercial events to proceed under "permitted development" rules. The campaign group said this move bypassed "proper planning scrutiny" for what was "clearly a major, damaging change of use". PBP has already raised more than £34,000 through their crowd funder to cover legal costs and received more than 3,000 signatures for its petition. This summer, Brockwell Live will host nine days of events running across two weekends between May 23 to June 8. The line-up of events includes music and culture festivals like Wide Awake, Field Day, Cross The Tracks, City Splash, Mighty Hoopla, and London's biggest festival, Lambeth Country Show. These events bring thousands of visitors to the park, with the Lambeth Country Show bringing 120,000 attendees alone. One of the prominent figures of the campaign is BAFTA award-winning actor, Sir Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall, Bones and All). 'The imposition of high steel walls for Brockwell Live every summer destroys the park for weeks and harms the grass, trees and plant life for months — if not forever. It turns it into a prison camp,' says the actor. Since instigating its petition, the campaign group has been met with some pushback from other Lambeth locals. In an open letter addressing 'the people of Lambeth', SayYesLambeth has accused Protect Brockwell Park of being an elite and "well-funded" minority. 'For too long, a small but powerful group has dominated the debate about Lambeth's future — shouting down new homes, opposing events in our parks, and trying to silence our vibrant night-time economy,' the open letter said. SayYesLambeth contests that PBP does not reflect the values of the area's young residents, creatives and small business owners. The open letter added that Lambeth's night-time economy is not just about entertainment but business, insisting music venues and other community spaces need to be protected. The group purports that events like Might Hoopla and Lambeth Country Show 'showcase our diversity, support local businesses, and give thousands of people access to music, culture, and community right on their doorstep.' In exclusive comments to The Mirror, Protect Brockwell Park responded to SayYesLambeth 's letter, saying 'it sets up a false choice between culture and conservation'. PBP asserts that they are not trying to ban festivals. According to the campaign group, SayYesLambeth's claim that the events are part of shared, joyful use of the park is 'nonsense' when 'they result in almost half of Brockwell Park being fenced off each summer'. Protect Brockwell Park also rejects any claim of 'NIMBYism' (an acronym for Not In My Backyard), saying: 'This is not a campaign bankrolled by the elite — it's powered by local people who care deeply about their park.' Lambeth Council has shared its own response to the legal challenge, saying 'any impacts from the events on the park are fixed with our event partner' and that they are 'committed to addressing all potential issues promptly and effectively, whilst ensuring Lambeth's residents continue to have access to a diverse and meaningful range of events.' The council has also made note of the cultural importance of Brockwell Live events, saying they are 'really valued within our LGBTQ+ community' and that 'similarly, City Splash celebrating Caribbean and African music and culture is much loved by our Black communities and beyond.' At time of writing, Protect Brockwell Park has said that Lambeth Council have not responded to their concerns or their petition.
Metro
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Huge UK festival under threat over environmental concerns with £31,000 raised
Beloved South London festival Mighty Hoopla's future could be uncertain after environmental campaigners threatened to take legal action against Lambeth Council over Brockwell Park's live events. They have raised concerns about the impact these festivals have on the green space, which has been open for public use since 1892. The Brixton park, also home to Brockwell Lido and a famous view of the city, hosts annual music festivals annually across two consecutive weekends, including London favourite Mighty Hoopla, which has boasted pop headliners over the years such as Sugababes, Kelis, and Steps. The LGBTQ+ friendly festival is due to take place on the first weekend of June 2025, with headliners confirmed as Ciara, Jade, Kesha, and Loreen. Brockwell Live – who organise the summer series of festivals in the London park – runs hosts a Bank Holiday Weekender, which sees festivals Wide Awake, Field Day, Cross The Tracks, and City Splash take place on the first May weekend, and Mighty Hoopla the following weekend. The Lambeth Country Show – produced by Brockwell Live in partnership with Lambeth Council – takes place on the third weekend in the series. However, a Crowdjustice page has been set up with the aim of limiting the live events as ecological concerns mount. On April 9 the campaigners sent Lambeth Council a pre-action letter challenging its decision to grant the area a certificate which allows commercial events to take place in the park without planning permission. The local residents who have formed the group, called Protect Brockwell Park, intend to begin a legal challenge against the council over its live events policy. They say the events are responsible for 'damaging our trees, disturbing wildlife, compacting the soil, and fencing off huge areas of the park for weeks at a time'. Continuing, the Crowdjustice page – having now raised over £31,000 at the time of writing to 'cover legal costs' – said: 'We have repeatedly raised our concerns with Lambeth Council, but our voices have fallen on deaf ears. 'Lambeth has ignored petitions that have garnered thousands of signatures, local residents' distress, and the adverse ecological impact on the park over the years.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video They aim to stop live events without 'full public consultations', introduce evidence-based impact assessments of these events, and they also demand an evaluation of the long-term impact these events have on the park, as well as the introduction of Glastonbury-style fallow years to give the ground a rest. 'Permanent damage' to the grasslands has already occurred, they say, from HGVs carrying heavy equipment, as well as a footfall of 180,000 people in a week's window, and the running of 'polluting' generators. 'Still embedded with rubbish and suffering from flooding as water can't drain freely through compacted ground,' the group says, adding: 'Trees are dying as heavy equipment has piled up in root protection zones. While last year's festival got more than just a bit muddy, fans still flocked to Brixton for Nelly Furtado, B*witched, Jessie Ware, Rita Ora and Bambie Thug. There were fears the festival would be cancelled when photos taken at Brockwell Park's City Splash Festival the week before resembled a mud bath. But Mighty Hoopla announced that in the conditions the festival had passed its health and safety check and it would be going ahead as planned. 'Since 2021, 32 protected species have disappeared, with noise and light pollution disrupting key habitats and impacting protected bats,' the group continued. The group claimed profit is being prioritised over the health of the park, and those in the local community who use it. 'If we do not stop these events, the Park won't recover, and nor will our community,' they said. In response, a Lambeth Council spokesperson told Metro: 'The council has received a pre-action protocol letter in relation to a judicial review claim for Brockwell Park, and are currently considering this.' On the specific concerns about the events, spokesperson said: 'Brockwell Park is hugely valued by the council and our communities. 'The council invests £500,000 a year in maintaining Brockwell Park which has won numerous awards including a Green Flag given by Keep Britain Tidy in line with the international standard for high quality parks and green spaces, as well as several London in Bloom awards. 'Events in Brockwell Park run for a short period before summer and generate significant cultural opportunities and entertainment for younger people across the borough. Events also support businesses in the area, the majority of which are small businesses who experience increases in footfall during the events programme. 'This boosts our local economy and provides jobs and income for residents, especially at a time when high streets and small traders have struggled, and when pubs are closing in record numbers.' The council went on to explain how the festivals are positive for younger people and help fund the free Lambeth Country Show, adding that they 'work hard' to engage local people. For 2025, Saturday's headliner is R&B legend Ciara while Sunday sees the iconic Kesha take to the stage. Eurovision's two-time champion Loreen is the special guest on Sunday June 1. They will join the likes of Jojo, Jamelia, Daniel Bedingfield, Omar Rudberg, Mutya Buena, Vengaboys, Kash Nash & The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, G Flip, Pixie Lott, and Lemar. 2025 will see Jayda G, Allie X, Girls Don't Sync, Elkka, Lion Babe, Big Freedia, The Illustrious Blacks and Tom Rassmussen taking to The Bump stage. 'Running the Lambeth Country Show in partnership with Brockwell Live saved the council £700,000 last year from the cost of putting on, as well as securing more than £150,000 for park investment and local community projects,' the council said. 'Further the events run by Brockwell Live in the lead up to the Country Show are really valued within our LGBTQ+ community – which is the biggest in London – really getting behind the Mighty Hoopla for example. When heavy rain last year put the Mighty Hoopla in question, we were heavily lobbied to make sure it went ahead. More Trending 'Similarly, City Splash celebrating Caribbean and African music and culture is much loved by our Black communities and beyond.' Adding that they are 'working hard' to minimise disruption the events have on locals, Lambeth Council said they have a 24-hour help line and staff in the streets for the events to cater for any concerns from local people. 'We have also moved the date of events in Brockwell Park to earlier in the year, so the entire park is available throughout the school summer holidays,' they added. 'Any impacts from the events on the park are fixed with our event partner. We are committed to addressing all potential issues promptly and effectively, whilst ensuring Lambeth's residents continue to have access to a diverse and meaningful range of events.' Got a story? 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