Is that music the Gala festival already?

[malumbu]

Oh to be young again.  So much more going on in terms of music than my youth.  I'd actually heard of a couple of bands,  Did anyone go?  Or did anyone's family go?  I'd love to hear how it went.  On line reviews for last year were great.

Had nothing like this on my doorstep when I was growing up.  Although great to hear that the older generation are still being upset - that was true in my younger days too.

[first mate]

Let's just keep this event to three days only and no more.

Look forward to being able to enjoy the whole park, sans metal barriers and security guards, now the warmer weather has arrived.

[Soleila]

9 hours ago, chrisclack2001 said:

In my opinion the event should be moved to the common. Gala are against this because the advertising for the event gives gives the impression of idilic surroundings which it is untill they put a metal wall around it. Once the wall is up it may as well be on the common from the perspective of those inside it.

That would be even worse than it’s current location. 

[zerkalo]

I went on Saturday to see a friend who was playing there. It was a sold out day so very busy. Mostly young people in their 20s. Lots of bars and plenty of staff so no queues to buy a drink. There were water fountains too to refill water bottles. A bit confusing to figure out the different areas as they were not all signposted though some were obvious (eg the dome). Music was loud enough down the front, less so at the back. Stopped at 22:30 sharp, then a very long queue to get out from the common side of the park. That could have been managed better.

I hope they do a good job cleaning up, no doubt an event like this has a big impact on the local environment. One weekend is fine, but no more than that I think.

[Spartacus]

Is that birdsong I can hear from Peckham Rye Park already? 😅

[Cyclemonkey]

We went on Friday and Sunday.  As seasoned festival and gig goers we found it well organised - lots of bars and bar staff, hardly any queues for toilets and they were still (fairly) ok at the end of the night.

The site was nicely laid out although I agree the different stages could have been better labelled.  We spent a while trying to locate the right stages.

The crowd were very decent, a good chilled atmosphere, lots of people just happy to be dancing in the sunny weather.  The exit at the end was a bit crowded but we got away fairly quickly as we were the minority of people getting a bus up Forest Hill Road away from Peckham.

There were big bins and portable toiets on the perimeter so no need for any littering or public urination  - I hope the reports of that were isolated incidents - sadly you always get some anti social people who do this (We used to live off East Dulwich road by the Rye and our little street was a regular spot for drunk men to have an alfresco wee. 

[Jko-mos]

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Edited May 29, 2023 by Jko-mos

[peckman01]

It’s 3 days out of 365. Why do people have to be such kill joys!

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

The closing off of the park is not just 3 days, and the rubbish left behind lasts much longer than 3 days too.

[Cyclemonkey]

Well you can't make festival infrastructure magically appear and disappear in an instantnl.

The way people are talking you would think that it took over the whole park and Common and Peckham Rye park is the only green space in the area.

There is room for everyone.

[first mate]

Yes, there are other green areas, but, they are also slowly being given over to summer festival events. And it doesn't just stop at one; in some parks there are multiple events lasting much of the summer. Losing a large section of park for a month in early summer, when the park is at its most beautiful, for the sake of just a few days is a doubtful trade- off, in my view. Plus what are the actual benefits to the park and its users who are not interested in attending a music festival?

In terms of free events for the local community. Why should it be the role of the council to provide entertainment? Let them focus their time and our money on the basics, like clearing rubbish, mending streets etc..

[exdulwicher]

11 minutes ago, first mate said:

In terms of free events for the local community. Why should it be the role of the council to provide entertainment? Let them focus their time and our money on the basics, like clearing rubbish, mending streets etc..

Because the council manage issues like public safety, licensing, road closures, noise control, liaison with partners/sponsors/emergency services. The land is owned and managed by the council and "community" is part of the council's remit.

16 hours ago, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

The closing off of the park is not just 3 days, and the rubbish left behind lasts much longer than 3 days too.

I'm (marginally) less bothered by the rubbish issue (bear with me!) because after an event the park usually gets blitzed completely so *everything* gets tidied up. It's the low level "background" littering which happens constantly that gets ignored because it's "only" a couple of crisps packets or a drinks can...

There was a festival on at Brockwell Park as well on Sunday although I only saw some of the aftermath of people leaving the area. Lot of police and stewards around, it all seemed relatively in control. Didn't see what the park looked like though.

[first mate]

Ex Dulwich said: "Because the council manage issues like public safety, licensing, road closures, noise control, liaison with partners/sponsors/emergency services. The land is owned and managed by the council and "community" is part of the council's remit."

Yes, I get that the council as overseer has a role in ensuring local bylaws etc.. are managed and implemented, but that is not the same as choosing to hire out sections of the park for weeks on end and then justifying lack of access with the quid pro quo that revenue from that private event will be used to fund free events.

The council is strapped for cash, so which free events are viewed as absolutely necessary and which free events are funded from this revenue stream?

I would also be very interested in the exact amount of money, as a proportion of revenue that goes to the council, that goes back into Peckham Rye and what specifically is/will be funded?

 

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

15 hours ago, Cyclemonkey said:

Well you can't make festival infrastructure magically appear and disappear in an instantnl.

Well, exactly. That's why it's silly to say "but it's only three days", because it ain't.

 

On the rubbish: the big stuff does tend to be removed, true, but the seven billion fibreglass cigarette ends and small plastic bits are a different matter.

I'm in the middle on this: if the council is getting enough money and if the site is actually properly cleaned, I'm okay with it. But I don't live so close to the site ghat i get bothered by the sound: if I can hear it, I just crank up my own hifi so my neighbours and I aren't disturbed by rubbish doof doof music.

[first mate]

Just keep it to the three days.

[jerryc]

Lovely old green mega-walls still up this morning ! - that's 14 days of fenced off action for the best frisbee/evening sundown spot on the rye.   The actual noise-attack wasn't such a pain this year and I live right next to it. Too many DJ/Sound producers though - not enough vibraphones.

Question for the fest-positive people on this thread - Wordsworth, Cyclemonkey, Malumbu et all - Are you all totally cool with it being expanded to 6 days ( 26 days fenced off ) ?  

 

 

 

[Cyclemonkey]

Not really for me to decide seeing as Peckham Rye is no longer my local park and I no longer live in Southwark

I just commented I went to the event and it was well run and positive.

 

[first mate]

Interesting so at least two in favour are not local. I wonder how many more are from further afield?

I am sure that for some of those next to the park those three days are near torture, others won't be so affected. But it is not just noise for three days but for the duration of the build and dismantle, which is weeks. My plea is to leave it at that and resist the council's move to extend the event, doubling however many weeks that part of the park is non accessible to park users and the noise impacts for locals. 

Edited June 1, 2023 by first mate

[Cyclemonkey]

I am local - I live in Forest Hill and used to live right on the junction between East Dulwich Road and Peckham Rye.

My point was I don't live right on the park anymore or in the borough so it is not really up to me whether the festival extends to 6 days or not. 

And with that I'll leave you to it.

[DuncanW]

I live very close to the park, and I'm fine with it.  In fact I think it's great to see so many people enjoying themselves in this wonderful green space we have. Inevitably there is some trade-off; they do their best with crowd management, litter etc - but it's not yet and may never be perfect. It takes up a fraction of the total space of Peckham Rye and there are loads of other spots to play frisbee, walk your dog etc

To the question about the expansion, I think there needs to be a limit. My understanding is that they want the second weekend to be more family friendly and have greater appeal to those who live in the immediate area which sounds good to me. I would say I 100% support the 3 days as is, cautiously support an additional 3 days, would have some serious concern about anything beyond that. 

[Nigello]

It’s not on the Rye, it’s in the park and the differences between the two are relevant. I don’t think it’s just or reasonable for a big part of the park - which is not the wide open space of the Rye - to be out of bounds (and likely to suffer damage) for such a long period of time. 

[DuncanW]

Peckham Rye is an open space and road in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England. The roughly triangular open space lies to the south of Peckham town centre. It is managed by Southwark Council and consists of two contiguous areas, with Peckham Rye Common to the north and Peckham Rye Park to the south

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peckham_Rye

 

 

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

5 hours ago, DuncanW said:

they want the second weekend to be more family friendly and have greater appeal to those who live in the immediate area 

Maybe yes, maybe no - does it matter if they want the second weekend to target a different demographic? If it's still a private ticketed event, it still means temporary privatisation of the park, fences, noise, litter and traffic. Dulwich Park has "Pub In The Park" which is smaller and "family-oriented" but it's still a private event in a public park. To be fair - Pub In The Park does seem less problematic and better run than Gala.

[Cyclemonkey]

Blimey - all I can say is of you think Gala is "problematic and badly run"  your experience of festivals and music events must be very scant.

 

I 

[first mate]

I think DKHB has a valid point, that in comparison to Dulwich Park's Pub in the Park, Gala in PR is not as well run. I took that to mean that the level of disruption to residents and the park environs is not as great.