Piano People, Rally Festival, Body Movements and Bermondsey Carnival 2024

Overview

On a case by case basis the council sometimes holds ticketed events in its parks.  We do this for three main reasons.  

One is to bring culture close to home.  The council and our communities value the benefits that arts and culture bring to Southwark.

We want our borough to celebrate and amplify its unique characteristics and diversity, for local people to come together to enjoy cultural activities and for our parks and open spaces to be welcoming, attractive and interesting places for all residents to visit. We want local people to be able to enjoy music, theatre and art in their neighbourhoods, rather than having to travel into the west end or beyond.

Two is to create opportunities for local people.  Parks are one of Southwark’s most popular and visited attractions. They can host up to 100 events every year, including a wide range of both free-to-attend and paid-for ticketed events. Events provide opportunities for local people.

Event organisers are encouraged to source supplies and services from Southwark-based businesses and employ staff from the local area. Larger, ticketed events also provide free and/or discounted tickets for local residents and in some cases, will generate income for chosen charities and collaborate with local arts organisations. This approach ensures that residents and businesses in Southwark benefit directly from event activity.

Three is to support funding for free community events.  Ticketed events generate significant income for the council, which is used to pay for a funded events programme for local people and to subsidise the hire fees for community events. After more than a decade of reductions in government funding for councils, this important source of funding supports the running of a parks and events service that might otherwise be lost.

Tell us what you think?

The council has received an event application from Assembled GALA Ltd, to hold a 4-day music festival in Southwark Park from the 23 - 26 August 2024.

Our events team at the council are consulting with stakeholders, in line with the council's Outdoor Events Policy.

Please see the documents in the 'related' section at the bottom of the page for more detail about the event proposals.

We're keen to know what you think about the event proposals.  We’re especially keen to hear from people who live and/or work in the wards of Rotherhithe, Surrey Docks, North Bermondsey and South Bermondsey, but we would also like to hear from anyone else who has an interest in Southwark Park, or events, which take place in the park.

The Events team at Southwark Council looks forward to hearing from you by the closing date of Friday 1 March 2024.

Why your views matter

Your views matter and are important as they will help the council decide whether they should, or should not, award an events licence to the event operators.

Your views could also help to develop plans for the event, if you think that some areas of the current proposals could be improved.

What happens next

We will gather everyone's views to produce a consultation findings report.

We will aim to publish this report by the 2 April 2024.

Anyone who has taken part in the consultation, and who has provided their email address, will receive a copy of the consultation report directly.

People on the council's stakeholder register for Southwark Park will also receive a copy of the report directly.

The report will also be published on the council's stakeholder web page.

www.southwark.gov.uk/southwarkparkevents