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

[cuppa tee]

lots of local objections to Glastonbury, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t happen.

dont know, think theyve given up, town has changed between first and last time i stopped over, there were still a few local w.c but i got the feeling a lot of property has been scooped up by new agers, minted hippies or businesses catering to them. anecdotally most visitors to p.p.f dont visit the town, nearest station is shepton mallet.

 

[editor]

You are deliberately putting words into my mouth that I haven't said to misrepresent me.
I suggested that the festival be tweaked to be more sensitive to the communities on its doorstep.
And I said that the size of Glastonbury should have probably been controlled rather than let expand to its current size which is about profit.
Nowhere have I said these should be no festivals.
With care both can exist.

One huge benefit from these festivals is for hospitality businesses who have been really hard by the ongoing closure of the Academy.

 

[nagapie]

One huge benefit from these festivals is for hospitality businesses who have been really hard by the ongoing closure of the Academy.

That would be relevant if I'd said there should be no festival at all, which is not what I said.
I do still think the use of the park for commercial events should be tightly monitored and I don't trust Lambeth to do this.

I'm not sure the Academy business is the same as the festival business though. Opposite sides of Brixton, let out of the festival on the Herne Hill side. I can see those businesses and maybe the Hoot and Effra Social benefitting but not so much the other end. I suppose Coldharbour Lane might get some custom.

 

[editor]

That would be relevant if I'd said there should be no festival at all, which is not what I said.
I do still think the use of the park for commercial events should be tightly monitored and I don't trust Lambeth to do this.

I'm not sure the Academy business is the same as the festival business though. Opposite sides of Brixton, let out of the festival on the Herne Hill side. I can see those businesses and maybe the Hoot and Effra Social benefitting but not so much the other end. I suppose Coldharbour Lane might get some custom.

Coldharbour Lane (and central Brixton) was absolutely rammed last night. The Albert got so full they had to stop serving for a while.

 

[nagapie]

Coldharbour Lane (and central Brixton) was absolutely rammed last night. The Albert got so full they had to stop serving for a while.

Good. Like I said, I was not advocating for a festival ban.

 

[cuppa tee]

Coldharbour Lane (and central Brixton) was absolutely rammed last night. The Albert got so full they had to stop serving for a while.

hopefully the crowds were respectful of the environment, not using the streets as a toilet and leaving tons of crap everywhere.

 

[editor]

Good. Like I said, I was not advocating for a festival ban.

I don't know you keep repeating this because at no point have I suggested that you did

 

[nagapie]

I don't know you keep repeating this because at no point have I suggested that you did

Because I've had a page long conversation with a poster who basically ignored that so I'm assuming it's not obvious!

 

[editor]

Pics from yesterday

In photos: Wide Awake festival at Brockwell Park, Saturday 27th May 2023

It was another glorious day in Brockwell Park yesterday for the return of the Wide Awake festival. Brixton Buzz was on hand to photograph the sold-out event – and here’s what we saw:

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[cuppa tee]

its the wildlife and particularly the bats i feel most sorry for, this is their space too.
luckily even the most disturbed human can compute whats going down and try to adapt
the animals world is turned upside down, all that noise, and electronics and other weirdness
must properly knacker their senses and their psychogeographic reality.
im not anti-human and a bit of fun is not a crime but when its on the scall of these event
then its gonna have consequences for little creatures.

 

[editor]

Yesterday was the busiest I've ever seen the park. Some great bands though.

In photos: Cross The Tracks festival in Brockwell Park, Sunday 28th May 2023

Brockwell Park was absolutely packed yesterday as Cross The Tracks festival pulled in a sold out crowd. Here’s some photos from the day:

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[jimbarkanoodle]

£6.80 for a 440ml can of 'Brewdog Lost Lager' at the weekend. Bit of a shame as last year i thought the £5.75 cans of Red Stripe was fairly reasonable, relative to other London day festivals.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

It's pretty loud at my house. People at Cressingham have told me it's it's challenging.
I think 4 days is too many and that each day should end by 9.
It's not like people moved to near a venue and then started complaining.

During GCSEs too. I’ve always twigged that as it brings back traumatic memories of being unable to cram revise for my 50% politics A-Level exam because of similar, highly distracting event noise the day before. I hadn’t previously revised

Plus it’s not actually just four days is it? It’s these 4, plus isn’t there stuff on this week which won’t be as noisy or late but will still be loud? Then the Country Show, which these days often feels less for the local community and largely for the outer borough market. So it’s not 4 days, it’s 10. Does anyone know what other London parks run events for 10 consecutive days?

Plus some drunk twat purposely almost knocked me off my bike on Friday

 

[Cerv]

Does anyone know what other London parks run events for 10 consecutive days?

Finsbury Park is close.
What the council call the 'major 'events are over two consecutive weekends Fri to Sun with one thing on the Wed in the middle. So 7 days of events in a 10 day window.
Total from first day of build starting to breakdown ending is 24 days. 21/06 to 14/07.

 

[spitfire]

All Points East at Viccy Park is 10 days.

2 x 3 day weekends and some lip service community bullshit in the middle.

 

[Cat Fan]

Clapham common is arguably more suitable as it's a common (= square of grass historically used for grazing livestock) not a landscaped park, like Brockwell

It is also nearer a tube station. But IIRC Lambeth designated Brockwell as the borough's "events park", as part of their events "strategy".

Brockwell is on a big hill so it broadcasts the sound all around the area.

Why not Clapham? Nothing to do with local resident opposition, I'm sure? Any history there?

 

[Cat Fan]

Finsbury Park is close.
What the council call the 'major 'events are over two consecutive weekends Fri to Sun with one thing on the Wed in the middle. So 7 days of events in a 10 day window.
Total from first day of build starting to breakdown ending is 24 days. 21/06 to 14/07.

Don't forget the Pokémon event later in the year, it's not "major" because it is only selling 9,999 tickets each of the 3 days not 10,000. Thanks Lambeth council.

 

[pbsmooth]

Clapham common is arguably more suitable as it's a common (= square of grass historically used for grazing livestock) not a landscaped park, like Brockwell

It is also nearer a tube station. But IIRC Lambeth designated Brockwell as the borough's "events park", as part of their events "strategy".

Brockwell is on a big hill so it broadcasts the sound all around the area.

Why not Clapham? Nothing to do with local resident opposition, I'm sure? Any history there?

There have been loads of events on Clapham Common. SW4 was there every year til covid. They do a cinema. Funfairs.

Most parks in Iondon have festivals until locals get fed up then they move on. I can think of music festivals on Peckham Rye, Crystal Palace Park, Burgess Park, Finsbury Park, Hyde Park... Off the top of my head.

 

[Cat Fan]

There have been loads of events on Clapham Common. SW4 was there every year til covid. They do a cinema. Funfairs.

Most parks in Iondon have festivals until locals get fed up then they move on. I can think of music festivals on Peckham Rye, Crystal Palace Park, Burgess Park, Finsbury Park, Hyde Park... Off the top of my head.

The funfairs go where they want, to be fair. I was more talking about large-scale events.

Hyde Park is absolutely massive and can accommodate large events. Brockwell is on the small to medium size and feels like a different proposition. Especially since it's in an area where many households don't have access to outdoor space.

It's too small a park to be all things to all people, and it's strange to have a strategy of hosting these huge festivals at the same time as wanting to turn Brockwell Hall into an intimate wedding venue. I personally don't know if the benefit to local residents outweighs the harm, but it's a debate.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

All Points East at Viccy Park is 10 days. 2 x 3 day weekends and some lip service community bullshit in the middle.

Victoria Park is quite a lot larger though. I remember seeing something there a while ago and feeling like we walked for ages into the middle of the park, which presumably was to pull noise away from residents on the outside. Though of course perception varies based on what side you’re sitting on.

Tbf it hasn’t been a problem for me - no one in the house is studying for exams, my kids are old enough to cope with the sound at bedtimes (plus have fallen asleep at festivals) and once I learnt my way round the fence it’s still been possible to cycle to work. As I said before, the biggest hard ship has been some drunk twat forcing me off the path and jeering at me, plus some of the setting up vehicles making the transition from the road to the park slightly dangerous when cycling. I’ve actually quite enjoyed walking around my area and hearing the music. But I live a whole 10 minutes walk from Cressingham and if it’s this loud where I am, it must be really intense for them, and 7 days of events in 10 days is pretty intense.

At least it’s not a Tough Mudder event I guess, which from what I understand completely destroy parks

 

[Agent Sparrow]

It's too small a park to be all things to all people, and it's strange to have a strategy of hosting these huge festivals at the same time as wanting to turn Brockwell Hall into an intimate wedding venue. I personally don't know if the benefit to local residents outweighs the harm, but it's a debate.

Yeah, I think this is my take on it. If my children were still babies with sleep issues I’d not be so on the fence. But then possibly neither would I have been as the 23 year old who moved to Brixton 20 years ago, just on the other side of it.

 

[Cat Fan]

At least it’s not a Tough Mudder event I guess, which from what I understand completely destroy parks

Well, yes and no. I think the tough mudder event that damaged Finsbury Park was partly driven by wet weather in the buildup.

Every time there's a big event in a park you're basically playing roulette with the weather. Having them in the summer months improves the odds but one day it will be very wet and there will be major damage, it's just a matter of time.

 

[pbsmooth]

Who'd have thought Urban would be nimbys about daytime music festivals!

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Who'd have thought Urban would be nimbys about daytime music festivals!

I think this polarisation is really unhelpful and unfair. I’ve not actually seen anyone saying they shouldn’t be on but it’s fair enough to point out it’s not without cost for a lot of local people. Likewise commenting on how 3 days has expanded to 7 days across 10…

 

[technical]

IMO the council can’t really win here. Financially due to austerity they have to try at least to make the park earn - but this will inevitably cheese a significant chunk of people off.

I’m reasonably near - a five minute walk from the Tulse Hill side. The noise doesn’t bother me - but this year the length of time that a very big section of the park is unusable is too long for me

 

[pbsmooth]

I think this polarisation is really unhelpful and unfair. I’ve not actually seen anyone saying they shouldn’t be on but it’s fair enough to point out it’s not without cost for a lot of local people. Likewise commenting on how 3 days has expanded to 7 days across 10…

was slightly tongue in cheek but Cat Fan was pretty much saying that to be fair...

 

[Agent Sparrow]

I’m reasonably near - a five minute walk from the Tulse Hill side. The noise doesn’t bother me - but this year the length of time that a very big section of the park is unusable is too long for me

It’s so weird how the noise travels - we live 15-20 minutes from the action and it sounds like it’s happening in the next street when walking around certain roads/when the upstairs windows are open. Is it to do with what direction the stages are set up? I know wind plays a part but probably not this consistently.

On the plus side there were a couple of years when we could see the paid for fireworks in our garden, admittedly by taking turns to stand up the step ladder

I do get your point about the council funding

 

[Cat Fan]

IMO the council can’t really win here. Financially due to austerity they have to try at least to make the park earn - but this will inevitably cheese a significant chunk of people off.

I’m reasonably near - a five minute walk from the Tulse Hill side. The noise doesn’t bother me - but this year the length of time that a very big section of the park is unusable is too long for me

I think I worked out that the amount they raise is equivalent to a few extra quid on council tax bills.

It's not nothing, but I'm sure much more money will be raised by the new parking charge scheme.

 

[nagapie]

I would be happier to know how much money is made and where it goes. Because from where I stand, the council are sailing very close to the edge financially and yet all the services and places that you'd want to see investment in, don't seem to be getting it. I do however see a lot of money coming in from various sources, albeit for more specific targets, and it not being used very well. Also ongoing is the top heavy management of people who are paid an awful lot when so many services are failing.

But before I digress, I wonder how people feel about the Pokeman festival. It's not a music festival that many on here enjoy and it's very unknown but with 10 000 people looking for Pokeman, could be very damaging to the wildlife. Is it going to be enclosed?

 

[sleaterkinney]

I could hear it 2 miles away.