Music promoter behind huge festivals such as Reading and Leeds plans event in Crystal Palace Park

By Lachlan Leeming, Local Democracy Reporter

The music promoter giant behind such renowned festivals as Berlin’s Lollapalooza and Reading and Leeds Festivals has tabled plans for a huge new event at Crystal Palace Park.

Little public detail surrounds the proposal aside from what the Crystal Palace Park Trust, which has thrown its support behind the proposal, has published.

According to the trust, music promoter Festival Republic is applying to Bromley council for a licence to hold two events on the upper terraces of Crystal Palace Park during summer for the next three years.

Each festival would have capacity for up to 45,000 revellers.

Live Nation, the parent company of Festival Republic, said it has no comment or further information.

According to the trust, the first festival is planned for July 9-11 next year, with the second taking place a weekend later from July 16-18.

The trust said hosting the event would provide “significant funding” which would support community projects and the regeneration of the park.

“We are really pleased to see this proposal from Festival Republic and keen to support these exciting events,” Martin Tempia, co-chairman of the Trust, said.

“Not only will it bring some great acts to the area and restore Crystal Palace Park’s reputation as an important venue for events, but a generous proportion of the income generated will go to support environmental, educational and cultural initiatives for the benefit of the park and local residents.”

Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, said: “Crystal Palace Park is such a wonderful venue for live music. We’re fully aware of its heritage in this respect and believe we can be a positive part of its future”.

Festival Republic have additionally offered to host a free schools’ event on one of the festival stages, according to the trust.

It’s the latest potential boost for the park and comes after Bromley council submitted major plans in March including a proposal to build more than 200 homes on the outskirts of the park to fund further regeneration work.

Next year’s proposed events at Crystal Palace would run roughly a month earlier than its Leeds and Reading counterparts.

The promoters are set to lodge their plans with Bromley council this week.