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Mighty Hoopla, Cross The Tracks, Wide Awake, Field Day & City Splash festivals, Brockwell Park - discussion

madolesance said:
Here's another event for Brockwell Park, beginning of August for 3 days with potentially 35000 people per day- Pokémon GO Fest 2023: London
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"...the first European Pokémon Go Fest in Dortmund in 2019 reportedly attracted 85,000 players with 200,000 being recorded in the surrounding area."

:eek:


www.brixtonbuzz.com

Pokémon GO Festival to take place in Brockwell Park, 4th-6th Aug 2023

Not content with pimping out the park to a slew of festivals throughout the summer, Lambeth have also made Brockwell Park available for the Pokémon GO event running from Friday, August 4th to Sunda…
www.brixtonbuzz.com www.brixtonbuzz.com
 
Its probably a good idea from a council perspective, since they get the income from the (slightly weird) event, but are unlikely to have to put up with many, if any noise complaints.
 
jimbarkanoodle said:
Its probably a good idea from a council perspective, since they get the income from the (slightly weird) event, but are unlikely to have to put up with many, if any noise complaints.
Click to expand...
I imagine there'll be more than a few locals pissed off with tens of thousands of people trampling all over the park though.
 
The only silver lining is they won't have to put up the great wall of Brockwell for this one (will they?) Since it's all digital.
 
Comment on Buzz:

Brixton Buzz is not the only organisation finding it difficult to ascertain numbers. First the BPCP (the Brockwell Park stakeholder forum) heard that it was a low-impact, family-friendly event, then there would be 60,000 participants over three days, 20,000 per day, then a total of 105,000, 35,000 per day over the same time but the latest figure we have been given is no more than 9,999 participants per session.
Don’t know what to expect, really.
Click to expand...
 
Some background to the Pokemon plans (from Brockwell Park Community Partners).

"The fundamental point for us is that the Council has, for the second year in a row, engaged in a breach of good faith in contravening the consultative arrangements with Brockwell Park Community Partnership (all of us) in planning, without consultation, what can only be described (in the Council’s own language) as a ‘major event’. Relabelling it a ‘Corporate Event’; to a ‘Large Event’ then to a ‘Community Event’ should cut no ice with the facts of the matter. A major event is a major event.

This one is bigger than the Lambeth Country Show but representing it as a ‘Large’ event has bypassed the arrangement whereby local councillors could call for a community consultation."

Dear Friends,

Largest-ever Brockwell event?

You have previously indicated that you wished to be kept informed of issues concerning Brockwell Park.

We are Brockwell Park Community Partners (BPCP), the stakeholder group for the park that consults regularly with Lambeth Council through statutory positions on the Brockwell Park Management Team and the Brockwell Park Strategic Partnership Board.


In 2021, we believed that we had concluded an agreement with Lambeth that, following the Summer Series of music events and the Lambeth Country Show, which ends on 10th June, this year there would be no large events in the park for the remainder of the summer. This would open the park up to general use during the summer holidays and allow repairs to the park to commence immediately and more swiftly than if the LCS had taken place in July.


As was discussed at the last Brockwell Park Community Partners stakeholder meeting in April, we met Lambeth officers at a special meeting of the Brockwell Park Partnership Board on 17th April to discuss the proposed Pokemon event, a digital Pokemon Go game, due to take place in Brockwell Park on 4th 5th, and 6th August.

The Planning application for this event went in 15th February and we were told then, verbally, that this was a family-friendly event, that it would not be walled and the park would remain open, there would be some infrastructure, (so-called) habitats and the event would finish at 6.00 in the evening. Members of the community could join in free of charge. It was presented as a low impact virtual event.

It has gradually become clear that it is nothing of the kind. As information has dribbled out, the potential attendance at the event has risen from 20,000 people a day over three days (which we were told at the Partnership Board) to 35,000 a day, totalling 105,000 in the most recent planning application that we have been sent.

We had already been told by the event management that the park would be occupied from 19th July to 10th August to cover the time needed for event set-up to the event closure and derig. This covers a significant part of the school holidays. It is now clear that the infrastructure is very extensive and that that some areas will have to be fenced off. As part of the event there will be music, hot air balloons, model aircraft (i.e. drones), 20x20m tents and entrance arches and gantries. There will be special radio masts to ensure cover for mobile phone use, which will require security. Add to that 105,000 attendees over three days, each of whom will walk 10 km (according to the blurb) and it is hard to see how any of this will be compatible with ordinary use of the park. There may not be a fence, but the park will not be open in the ordinary way. This will also be taking place alongside the restoration work on the Hall.

The fundamental point for us is that the Council has, for the second year in a row, engaged in a breach of good faith in contravening the consultative arrangements with Brockwell Park Community Partnership (all of us) in planning, without consultation, what can only be described (in the Council’s own language) as a ‘major event’. Relabelling it a ‘Corporate Event’; to a ‘Large Event’ then to a ‘Community Event’ should cut no ice with the facts of the matter. A major event is a major event.

This one is bigger than the Lambeth Country Show but representing it as a ‘Large’ event has bypassed the arrangement whereby local councillors could call for a community consultation.

It is hard to know why “consultation” on this event, possibly one of the largest ever to take place in Brockwell Park, has been so shambolic. Even now the BPCP Trustees have not been shown the final map of where the various elements of this event will be. It has been extraordinarily difficult to get officers to recognise how problematic it is and that there does not seem to be any community benefit. From a turnover of somewhere around £2m for this event, we are told that the he park itself stands to gain just £20k.

Even for a budget-driven Events Team, the reward for this event does not even seem to address the level of risk to the park.

At this stage we can only ask that BPCP members write to their local councillors to protest that although we all hoped we had an agreement that repairs to the park could start straightaway after the music events and it would be open for all to use during the summer holidays, we have once again been disappointed and our agreement with Lambeth ignored. Our aspirations are reasonable; we are trying to protect our park.

The Planning application attached to this email is for permission to occupy the park for the number of days required to deliver the event.


Ann Kingsbury

Chair of Brockwell Park Community Partners
Click to expand...
 
Tulster218 said:
Yes, but no one will take any notice because it's trivial.

This Pokeman thing is over 100,000 people. It has a much bigger impact.

Also the council lied about it.
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I don’t know. It’s every weekend and loads seem to drive to it! Also means the paths are out of use for that time to anyone else. Does the council receive anything for it?

I guess the demographic of those doing ParkRun matches with those that complain about events in the park though.
 
edcraw said:
I don’t know. It’s every weekend and loads seem to drive to it! Also means the paths are out of use for that time to anyone else. Does the council receive anything for it?
Click to expand...
don't think they do.
the tories were going to make it illegal for councils to charge after some started taking a nominal fee.

www.standard.co.uk

New laws to prevent councils charging for park running events

New laws will prevent councils from charging running groups from taking part in popular park events.
www.standard.co.uk www.standard.co.uk


which might indicate something about the perceived demographics of park run regulars.
 
Tricky Skills said:
Don't be such a knob. PR is over and done with by 10am.
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An hour each Saturday when no one else can use the main path doesn’t seem that insignificant tbh. It does annoy me but I also realise that the park is for everyone to use in lots of different ways and that it will sometimes impact others. 🤷
 
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edcraw said:
An hour each Saturday when no one else can use the main path doesn’t seem that insignificant tbh. It does annoy me but I also realise that the park is for everyone to use in lots of different ways and that it will sometimes impact others. 🤷
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People can still use the path, the park runners are instructed to be mindful of other park users. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but no one is forcing you to be on the parkrun route at 9am either. Plenty of park to go around. Plenty of areas that the runners don't go through.
 
Cat Fan said:
People can still use the path, the park runners are instructed to be mindful of other park users. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but no one is forcing you to be on the parkrun route at 9am either. Plenty of park to go around. Plenty of areas that the runners don't go through.
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Yes - I guess it’s about comprise and putting up with some inconvenience to oneself for the benefit of others! 🙂
 
I have resident tickets for Cross the Tracks on Sunday. I only applied as my friend is a massive Roy Ayers fan. There's no one I want to see and I'd probably rather hang out at home.
Are there set times up anywhere so I can just pop in for his set?
 
nagapie said:
I have resident tickets for Cross the Tracks on Sunday. I only applied as my friend is a massive Roy Ayers fan. There's no one I want to see and I'd probably rather hang out at home.
Are there set times up anywhere so I can just pop in for his set?
Click to expand...
www.facebook.com

Cross The Tracks | London

Cross The Tracks, London, United Kingdom. 6,239 likes · 58 talking about this · 1,666 were here. Brixton’s #1 Soul Jazz & Funk Festival.
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
 
TopCat said:
The sniffer dog on the gate was a spaniel with a good nose. Be careful!
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Its always unnerving to be confronted by a dog and handler when you are entering a festival and have no other intentions apart from having a good time. The dog went straight for the chap walking in front of me yesterday, hopefully he held his nerve in the search tent and kept his stash
 
My pal found a bag of powder on the walk up from the Albert. I had a look and a line in the park just before going in. Ketamine! I got pulled by the dog and off to the search tent. I was trying hard in the tent not to be provoked, nor to nod my head to the distant music, gurn, or ask for balloons.

Then I had to go past the bloody dog again, it’s handler knowing I had been searched and the dog was going full on signaling.

It was a minor inconvenience to a good day. I kept my stash.
 
They can't strip search you so unless you're daft enough to have your drugs in your pocket you'll be fine.
The dog got very excitable by my presence two years back despite me being totally drug free. The security guy did a pitiful job of intimidating me into confessing and I was soon on my way.

www.urban75.org

Festival security, drug searches and your safety – an insider’s guide -

Three years ago, we posted up information about your rights when attending a festival, with straight talking advice on the potential pitfalls of smuggling in booze and drugs. The article proved hugely popular, and the author has now sent us a comprehensive update, which we hope you'll find...
www.urban75.org www.urban75.org
 
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