A planning application to host a series of festival events in Brockwell Park this summer has attracted more than 300 public comments online.

Last month (December 2), Summer Events Ltd, the company which runs the Brockwell Live festival series that features events such as Mighty Hoopla and Field Day submitted its first ever planning application, for its 2026 programme.

Residents had until December 31 to respond to the proposals for the park, though public comments are still being submitted onto Lambeth Council’s planning portal. At the time of writing (January 6), the plans had received 335 public comments consisting of 217 objections and 113 supporting comments. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) also counted five neutral comments.

One person said they were objecting to the plans because the park is a “vital space for ensuring the welfare, mental health of myself and my family, including my 18-month-old daughter”.

They added: “A large portion of the park out will be out of access and arguably the entire environment and feel of the park being impacted and ruined by the construction work, music noise and increase of people in the area. For these weeks we have been denied access to the jewel of South London and the lungs of a busy city, and at a time when children are out for half term.”

Another objector said: “Even though part of the park is still accessible, I cannot stress enough how much of a mental health impact the festivals have. Living in a city like London has a dis-regulating impact on our nervous system, putting us often into fight or flight and leading to heightened stress and a greater risk of mental health issues.

“We all need spaces where we can get away from this and for me, my family and for many of the people I work with, Brockwell Park is the place where we find this.”

However the plans have also generated a number of supporting comments from residents who praised the “diverse range of events” on offer each summer and said the festivals bring more people to the area and help to support the local economy.

One supporter said: “As a local resident I have enjoyed attending these events. I am a regular user of Brockwell Park, I walk my dog there everyday and I find the event preparation and running a minor inconvenience. The park is large enough to enjoy both things at once. The events are well managed and safe and the staff on site are always helpful and accommodating.”

Another person in support of the plans said: “I’ve lived in Lambeth close to the park for four years now, and I’ve never found the festivals to be overly noisy or disruptive. The diverse range of events held here is part of what makes the area so special… they are so vibrant and inclusive. It’s genuinely different from many other parts of London and a huge reason I chose to live here.

“Of course, any large event brings some level of disruption, but that’s something people choosing to move to this area would reasonably expect.”

What are the proposals?

Summer Events has applied for temporary planning permission so it can use just over a quarter of the park for a maximum of 32 days across 2026. According to a planning document, the proposed event days would take place between May 9, 2026 and June 9, 2026 and include days for event set ups, show days, event de-rig and “wet weather buffer days”.

It is the first time a planning application has been submitted for Brockwell Live, which previously operated under permitted development rights and is different to obtaining full planning permission, which involves the consultation and views of local residents.

Earlier this year, a judge ruled in favour of a group of campaigners who argued Lambeth Council did not have the correct planning permission for the festivals and found that parts of the park were being used beyond the permitted 28 days.

After the council decided not to appeal that ruling it entered into a “new strategy” with Brockwell Live. The planning application followed, and allows locals to comment on whether the events should take place.

In a controversial move, the council also announced that the Lambeth Country Show, a popular and free event which has taken place in Brockwell Park since 1974, will not be taking place next year due to a rise in running costs.
A number of stakeholders, including The Brixton Society and Protect Brockwell Park, the campaign group which took the council to court over the use of the park for festivals, have responded to the plans.

Paragon Planning, which has objected to the plans on behalf of Protect Brockwell Park, said the plans present an “unacceptable” risk of adverse effects on biodiversity and sensitive habitats/woodland.

The objection stated: “The proposals constitute inappropriate development on Metropolitan Open Land, causing harm to openness and the essential parkland character, and very special circumstances have not been demonstrated to clearly outweigh that harm.”

The next stage of the planning application involves a planning officer working for the council who will check the proposals against local policies and other considerations.

During this stage, a planning officer may undertake a site visit to Brockwell Park and will also check the views of local residents and other stakeholders who have been consulted.