Temporary music festivals at Brockwell Park, Dulwich Road, London SE24

“↑ To contents 1. Summary of application 1.1 Executive summary 1.1.1 This application seeks full planning permission for the temporary use of part of Brockwell Park for the Brockwell Live 2026 event series, comprising of a number of ticketed music and cultural festivals. The proposed event period spans up to 32 days between 9 th May and 9 th June 2026.”

“Officers consider that the cultural, social and economic public benefits of the Brockwell Live series including opportunities for cultural participation, local economic activity, community engagement and reinvestment in the park carry significant weight and clearly outweigh this limited harm in line with national policy. Beyond heritage, no other policies indicate that permission should be refused when the development plan is read as a whole.”

“↑ To contents 2. Site context and proposal 2.1 Site description 2.1.1 Brockwell Park is a large public open space, measuring approximately 51.8 hectares (518,829sqm), situated on the Borough’s eastern boundary which adjoins the London Borough of Southwark. The extent of Brockwell Park can be seen below with the red line area denoting the proposed site plan (Figure 1).”

“There is a long-established history of organised events taking place within Brockwell Park, dating back to the 1930s when open‑air theatre, opera performances and other cultural activities were first introduced. The park continued to host a varied programme of public events, reflecting its role as one of Lambeth’s principal recreational and cultural destinations.”

“Relevant planning history 2.3.1 Application site 2.3.1.1 There are no recorded planning permissions for temporary event use at Brockwell Park prior to 2023. While the park has hosted a long‑standing variety of cultural, community and recreational events over many decades including the Lambeth Country Show, these earlier activities were generally managed through the Council’s powers as landowner and parks authority, or occurred within the scope of temporary use rights…”

“25/00693/RG3 was granted on 06.05.2025 for the “Temporary use of Brockwell Park for Lambeth Country Show event taking place in 2025 for a total of 17 Event Days, involving the installation and de-installation of temporary infrastructure including fencing, lighting, Public Address (PA) systems, stages, fun fair rides and other temporary structures and ancillary works”. Application ref.”

“The proposals represent a time‑limited and fully reversible form of development that does not result in any permanent built form, loss of open space or alteration to the character or functioning of Metropolitan Open Land (MOL). Approximately 74% of the park remains publicly accessible at all times, and all temporary structures are removed with the land reinstated following de‑rig.”

“Detailed assessments have also demonstrated that temporary effects relating to noise, transport, amenity, ecology, biodiversity, trees, ground conditions, flooding and public safety can be effectively mitigated through conditions and operational controls and are therefore consistent with relevant Local Plan policies including Q2, Q3, Q10, EN5, EN6 and T1.”

“SUPPORTING COMMENTS Summary of comments Officer response Cultural and social value of events Events as culturally significant, celebratory and socially valuable, highlighting their role in bringing people together, celebrating diversity (including LGBTQ+ communities), and contributing to Lambeth’s cultural identity. Noted. Public benefits including cultural and social value are recognised in Table 3.”

“Supporters cite economic activity generated by events, including increased footfall for local businesses, employment Economic benefits are recognised and form part of the public benefits assessment.”

“To grant conditional planning permission.”

“Agree to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Sustainability to finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report, addenda and/or Planning Applications Committee (PAC) minutes;”