Blogger’s Note: Many participants had threatened to boycott this event when it was discovered that an Israeli business was in-charge of its organisation. This resistance stemmed from the BDS movement which opposed the ICC and ICJ-defined Israeli “Genocide” in Gaza. Running parallel to this was a NIMBY movement supposedly comprised of “concerned citizens” that seem to want to return Lambeth to a type of pre-WWI idyllic state that probably never existed. If you have been to Lambeth – as I have regularly over the years – you will know how ludicrous this strategy sounds. I find the objectives of this NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) spurious to say the least. On the other hand. Lambeth Council appear to be a law unto themselves – and to (allegedly) move with all the alacrity that free masonry can offer. There must have been a meeting at the local lodge recently involving a disgruntled punter. Having said all this, of course I am opposed to blatant or creeping commercialisation – but when living in a predatory capitalist society – surely this is the nature of the beast? We, as insignificant individuals, continue to throw our spears at more or less indifferent mammoths. Stop capitalism at its root – and all the problems it causes will come to an end. ACW (23.5.2025)
– by Jason Cobb
In a move critics have slammed as rushed and opaque, Lambeth Council has approved a new certificate of lawfulness for the Brockwell Live festivals — just hours before the first event, Wide Awake, opens its gates in Brockwell Park on Friday.
The announcement, made late on Thursday, leaves virtually no time for meaningful public scrutiny or legal challenge, and has sparked renewed accusations that the Council is attempting to rush through contentious planning decisions under cover of urgency.
Residents were given just two days to object to the application – a dramatically shorter consultation window than normal – and campaigners say the newly approved certificate appears almost identical to the one ruled unlawful by the High Court just last week.
In its statement, Lambeth Council claimed the new certificate had been submitted “in a different context and format,” and insisted the current use of the park for summer events is now lawful.
A Council press release said:
“We have today approved a certificate of lawfulness… The events in Brockwell Park are proceeding.”
But local campaign group Protect Brockwell Park has already warned that the certificate looks like a thinly disguised re-run of the original, which the High Court deemed unlawful due to the overall change of use exceeding the 28-day legal limit for permitted development.
Legal observers say Lambeth appears to be re-arguing a case it has already lost — but this time, without judicial oversight.
The Council’s decision landed less than 24 hours before Wide Awake’s opening, effectively running down the clock on potential legal interventions.
Protect Brockwell Park has previously indicated it is ready to challenge any repeat certificate – but the window for doing so may have now closed before it even opened.
The campaign group has yet to issue a formal response but has repeatedly warned that Lambeth is misrepresenting the judge’s ruling, and that any materially unchanged application is bound by the same legal failings.
Lambeth’s decision was made with no public explanation of how the legal risks were reassessed or what legal advice was taken.
Critics say it amounts to the Council marking its own homework, bypassing due process in favour of a politically convenient result.
The saga continues to highlight deeper tensions between community access to public space and Lambeth’s growing reliance on commercial events.
The festivals – which include bars, ticketing, and a high-security fence known as the Great Wall of Brockwell – dominate the park for weeks and cut off regular use for thousands of local residents.
Campaigners argue the Lambeth Country Show, which follows the commercial events, is now entirely dependent on the infrastructure built for Brockwell Live – a financial entanglement that has undermined its traditional, community-led spirit.
With legal avenues rapidly narrowing, Protect Brockwell Park faces a race against the clock if it wants to challenge the certificate.
The group is understood to be weighing its next steps, but the timing of Lambeth’s announcement may have already achieved its intended effect: stalling opposition just long enough to let the show go on.
For now, the festival gates are set to open – but the legal, political, and community fallout is likely just beginning.
Full Statement from Lambeth Council:
“We have today approved a certificate of lawfulness for an existing use or development applied for by Summer Events Limited for events in Brockwell Park.
People were able to comment on the application, with the opportunity to make representations during this week.
This certificate confirms that the use of part of the park for the summer events is lawful. The events in Brockwell Park are proceeding.
The application for the new certificate of lawfulness follows the High Court ruling last week on the previous certificate which was submitted in a different context and format.”
Further Reading:
UK: Was a Lambeth Music Festival “Cancelled” to Prevent a High-Profile “BDS” Victory? (17.5.2025)
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 