Locals welcome economic benefits of festival which will see up to 50,000 people a day descend on Crystal Palace Park this weekend

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

A music festival will see up to 50,000 people a day descend on Crystal Palace Park this weekend.

A huge stage has been installed in the park ahead of Wireless Festival this weekend – and residents say they are pleased about the possible economic benefits the event should bring.

The event will take place over three days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Work on building the stage and infrastructure for the festival started on August 26 and taking it down is expected to be completed by September 20.

It will be the second festival to take place in the park since Bromley council agreed to start the process of handing over the park to the Crystal Palace Park Trust (CPPT), which was set up in 2016.

Last month a series of events took place as part of the South Facing Festival, which attracted up to 10,000 people for each concert.

As the stage for Wireless takes shape, the top half of the park, including the terraces and car park area, is now closed off to the public.

This work has also meant the Covid-19 testing centre in the park has been relocated.

And Crystal Palace residents said they were hopeful that the large event will mean more investment can go back into the park.

Ella Darbyshire said she believed the festival was a good idea for the area, but was unhappy that so much of it had been closed off to walkers.

The 28-year-old said: “I think it is good for the local businesses but it is a bit of a pain when you’ve got a dog and want to walk in the park, but it is a complete building site.

“It is not just this week, they have been constructing it for weeks already.”

Liz Kitchen, 42, was unsure that the area would be able to cope with the influx of people, but welcomed the investment in the park.

She said: “It is great to have the money coming into the park. I am not certain we have the infrastructure for the people they are bringing.”

Michael and Kath Darbon said they wanted to see more funding put into the park, including revamping the toilets and repairing ‘hazardous’ stairs by the leisure centre.

Michael added: “The South Facing festival went very smoothly, we didn’t have any issues.

“I understand why they want to have the Wireless Festival. The park has been underfunded for years. This is part of the plan to get money to go towards the park, we hope.

“We are willing to put up with it if there are more cost benefits of it.”

While one local asked not to be named said: “I think it’s all part of progress, I am not a NIMBY.”

When the festival was announced back in March, the CPPT said in a statement: “As well as helping the park regain its reputation as a world-class venue, the festival will assure Crystal Palace Park Trust a significant revenue in support of community projects, and the renewal and development of the ecological, cultural, recreational and heritage offer of the park, for the benefit of everyone.”

Pictured top: Cardi B performing at the most recent Wireless Festival – held in 2019 in Finsbury Park (Picture: PA)