Brockwell Live festivals to go ahead in 2026 after residents’ legal challenge
Controversy surrounded the festivals in 2025, when a local action group winning a legal battle over the south London events
The Brockwell Live series of festivals in south London will go ahead for 2026, it has been confirmed.
READ MORE: The battle for live music in London
Last year, the gigs in Brockwell Park made headlines when a local campaign group won a legal battle against the festival’s organisers, with a court ruling that the events didn’t have the correct planning permission.
The events ended up going ahead in 2025, but last year’s ruling meant the festivals had to apply for planning permission for 2026, the first time they have had to go through the process.
Now, the application for the events – including Mighty Hoopla, Field Day and Cross the Tracks – has been unanimously approved at a Lambeth Council Planning Applications Committee meeting last night (February 24). All of the events have announced their line-ups for 2026.
“Our team would like to thank the residents and stakeholders who engaged with us throughout the planning process, sharing both feedback and support,” Brockwell Live said in a statement.
“We’re pleased with the outcome, which recognises the cultural and social value of the Brockwell Live series, alongside the significant economic contribution it makes to Lambeth and Greater London, particularly at a time when night-time and creative economies across the country face increasing pressure.”
They added: “Our commitment to delivering the events responsibly and with care for the park and its neighbours continues beyond this decision. We will remain in active dialogue with the community and will share further updates in the coming months on the new schemes underway to support and enhance the park’s biodiversity.
“With events already selling out, we look forward to welcoming audiences back to Brockwell Park this May for what promises to be our strongest edition yet.”
In an investigation last year, Rolling Stone UK spoke to the campaign group, industry professionals and festival organisers about the wider implications of the story and legal challenge.
“The events have become too big and unsustainable for this sized park,” Protect Brockwell Park spokesperson Jen Hawkins — also a qualified solicitor — told Rolling Stone UK. “I think that’s the ultimate problem. They’ve now got to a scale which just doesn’t work for both the local public and for nature.”
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said that the cancellation of the festivals would prove a “dark day” for London’s nightlife, adding: “We are witnessing a worrying trend — from the aggressive sanitisation of Soho by Westminster Council, the surreal objection of the Blue-note Jazz Club, to this latest attempt to halt vibrant, well-managed cultural events in south London. This isn’t about protecting parks — it’s about stifling culture, and the consequences are far-reaching.”