Brockwell Live has confirmed that all summer events will take place as planned, after a judge ruled in favour of a legal challenge against them
Despite High Court Judge Justice Mould ruling in favour of Rebekah Shaman, a member of Protect Brockwell Park, a campaign group that took Lambeth Council to court over approving the events without planning permission, the festivals will be going ahead in the park as planned.
Brockwell Live, the organisers of the music festivals, including Field Day, Wide Awake, Cross the Tracks and Mighty Hoopla, have released a statement, saying: “Brockwell Live can confirm that all events in the series will go ahead as planned, including the Lambeth Country Show. Friday’s High Court ruling dealt with a particular point of law and whether an administrative process had been carried out correctly. We wish to make it clear that no event will be cancelled as a result of the High Court’s decision.
“We take our stewardship of Brockwell Park seriously. As we prepare to deliver these much-loved, culturally significant events, we remain fully committed to its care, upkeep, and long-term wellbeing.
“With setup nearly complete, we look forward to opening the gates and welcoming festival goers later this week.”
The legal challenge from campaign group Protect Brockwell Park, which was heard in court on 15th May, centred around Lambeth Council’s decision to allow large-scale commercial festivals to take place under the ‘permitted development’ 28-day rules, whereby temporary land use for up to 28 days within a calendar year can happen without formal planning permission. PBP argued that the Council has misapplied the rules for these festivals, as the set-up and dismantling of the site takes the events beyond this time limit.
The verdict delivered on 16th May was in favour of the campaigners, (the challenge was brought by local and PBP member Rebekah Shaman), with the judge finding that Lambeth Council acted unlawfully by allowing the festivals to go ahead without planning permission.
Rebekah Shaman, the claimant in the case, said: “We are not opposed to well-managed, appropriately scaled community events. But what’s happening in Brockwell Park is neither appropriate nor sustainable. We reject the assumption that this beloved public green space is a suitable venue for massive and damaging festivals”.
Speaking about the ruling, Lucy Akrill, co-founder of Protect Brockwell Park, said: “This is a victory not just for Brockwell Park, but for communities everywhere fighting to preserve their green spaces.”
Following the ruling, Lambeth Council has also released a statement, saying: “Summer Events Limited has applied to Lambeth Council for a new certificate of lawfulness, for 24 days, following the High Court ruling last week on the previous certificate.
“The council is urgently considering that application. That consideration does not stop the events proceeding.”
In response to the news that the festivals will be going ahead, despite the ruling, Protect Brockwell Park has said it will challenge the council if it grants a new certificate of lawfulness. In a statement on 21st May, PBP said: “Brockwell Live claims that the judgment was made on a technicality and believes it has the legal right to proceed. We – and our lawyers – strongly disagree. Yet Brockwell Live has asked Lambeth Council to certify this position, again. Why?
“Lambeth Council has no business rubber-stamping a flawed legal position for a second time. Issuing another certificate now would defy last week’s judgment. If Lambeth Council does, we’ll challenge the certificate, immediately. We want Lambeth Council to stop using legal mechanisms to avoid scrutiny.
This campaign is about the park as a green public space – and Lambeth Council’s pattern of dodging scrutiny. It stops now.”
The issue of festivals in Brockwell Park has been divisive. Sir Mark Rylance, a member of the PBP group, complained that as well as the festivals having a negative environmental impact on the park, the metal walls erected for the events are fencing it off and turning it into a “prison camp”. Ahead of the hearing and the perimeter walls being erected in the park, over 150 locals staged a protest, spelling out “NO WALLS” on the grass.
As a counter to the issues raised by Protect Brockwell Park, Brockwell Live said that as well as celebrating London’s diverse music and culture scene, its events (where free tickets have been handed out to residents, charities and NHS workers), have donated over £150,000 to local organisations, contributed over £300,000 to the upkeep of the park, and saved the council £700,000 by funding the free-to-attend Lambeth Country Show.
Ahead of the ruling, another local group was formed in favour of the festivals running in the park. SayYesLambeth, set up by a group of friends from an LGBTQ+ rugby team in south London, called on people to fight for “culture, joy and community in Lambeth”. In a statement posted on Instagram, the group said: “Lambeth’s night-time economy isn’t just about entertainment – it’s about life, jobs, and opportunity. From music venues to clubs, from bars to late-night cafés, these spaces are vital for our communities. They provide work, they foster creativity, and they offer safe spaces for people from all walks of life. Without them, Lambeth risks becoming sterile, unaffordable, and soulless.
“We also need to protect events in our parks. Mighty Hoopla, Wide Awake, Lambeth Country Show and other festivals bring life, joy, and connection to Lambeth. They showcase our diversity, support local businesses, and give thousands of people access to music, culture, and community right on their doorstep. Parks are for everyone – and events are part of that shared, joyful use.”
