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High Court backs Brockwell Park festivals after residents’ legal challenge fails
A High Court judge has dismissed a challenge over Brockwell Park festivals, clearing the way for Field Day, City Splash and Mighty Hoopla.
A High Court judge has thrown out a legal challenge over Lambeth Council’s use of Brockwell Park for a run of festivals, clearing the way for this summer’s events to go ahead.
The ruling matters beyond one patch of south London grass. Brockwell Park has become a familiar home for major dates like Mighty Hoopla, Wide Awake and Field Day, but that run was put under pressure last summer when a local campaigner argued the council had not secured the correct planning permission. For residents in Brixton who objected to the scale of the events, the issue was as much about access and environmental impact as it was about paperwork: the complaint centred on what campaigners described as “large-scale” festivals that damage the park and keep the public out for too long.
Juliet Chambers, the local campaigner who brought the case, said the permission granted by Lambeth Council was “unlawful” and claimed the authority had misunderstood the meaning of “recreation,” according to BBC News. But Mr Justice Jay disagreed, writing that recreation is “a pastime which is pursued for the pleasure or interest it provides… It is clear in my view that this musical festival is a cultural activity.”
That distinction is doing a lot of work here. The court’s ruling effectively treats the festivals not as an improper use of the park, but as part of a broader cultural function that can sit alongside public access. The temporary change of use granted by the council covers up to 32 days, and Lambeth’s case was that the rest of Brockwell Park would remain open. Sasha White KC, acting for the council, told the court: “During the events the rest of the park will be retained as public open space, therefore leaving 74% of the park open to the public throughout this period.”
White also said assessments found no “unacceptable harm” would result from the permission and that nine separate benefits had been identified. Those arguments echo the council’s broader position from earlier this year, when Lambeth unanimously approved plans for Field Day, Cross The Tracks, City Splash and Mighty Hoopla in the final weeks of May. Wide Awake, notably, is taking a year off.
At the time, the Planning Applications Committee said it had weighed noise controls, environmental effects and the cultural and economic impact of the events, including the possibility of a £10 million boost to the local economy. That calculation has become increasingly familiar across festival politics: the public park is not just a leisure space, but a contested civic asset where access, commerce and culture are all forced into the same frame.
Wide Awake’s 2023 edition featured Kneecap, CMAT, English Teacher, Daniel Avery and Nadine Shah, while earlier line-ups have included Primal Scream, Self Esteem and Amyl and the Sniffers. This year’s Mighty Hoopla is set for May 30 and 31, with Lily Allen, Scissor Sisters and Jessie J leading the bill. Field Day will follow on May 23, with Floating Points, Honey Dijon and Joy Orbison among the names announced.
Tickets for Mighty Hoopla are available here, while Field Day tickets can be found here.
