GALA 2025

[malumbu]

10 hours ago, fishboy said:

 

And hopefully everyone can see this for what it really is - an attempt to win over the local community and set a precedent for four festival days, so that they have a stronger argument when they put in an application for six days again next year. 

We can all be cynical but I hope you or others will pop over to the free festival and share your views.  I'd go but I am away.  It looks great.  (Note I don't know why some had to post their disgust on the events page - I expect many locals will go to the free event and some to the Gala itself).

 

[KalamityKel]

Last night was a different kind of event entirely though...

 

[malumbu]

Yep Monday is family festival but I think it would be churlish to avoid this on principle and if you are free at least check it out.  I was simply responding to a comment that there were not free festivals.  I've no strong feelings about Gala, and whilst I could hear it, it stopped around 11 and I've experienced worse.  Volunteering at Glastonbury and at Shambala and that bloody drum and base going on till 4 in the morning.  I'm aware Gala affects others far more but conflating this with LTNs and with Lambeth council was strange.

[first mate]

It is a fact that the festival has been expanded once, both in size and timescale. Attending the free day will be spun as support for not only this but even further expansion and embolden Southwark to launch more events and we could end up like Brockwell.

 

[Rockets]

But that's the point isn't it Mal, if you go to Glastonbury you are with a hundred thousand other people in the wilds of the country and you cannot complain about noise disruption - you can be selective about where you camp of course. 

The Glasto organisers and local council go out of their way to keep the locals onside - friends of mine used to live in a village some miles from Worthy Farm and would be offered free tickets.

But there are a lot of people in Dulwich and Herne Hill and Brixton who have huge amounts of disruption thrust upon them because this is, after all, a densely populated urban area and not deepest Somerset. 

Councils want to monetise our public spaces as much as they can but this is often in conflict with the needs and wants of their constituents who live nearby. What is happening in Brockwell is a warning as Southwark will want to try and monetise Peckham Rye to the same extent if they can.

[alice]

Look, I can see you feel very strongly about it, but there’s a whole load of people for whom it does not bother one bit. 

[malumbu]

Glasto?  Who calls it Glasto?  You certainly aren't an old hippy.  It's been coined by radio DJs and toffs - Glyndo anyone?  Henlo?? Hollando???  Yes this is an irrelevant post.

[JohnL]

A lot of shouting outside on Rye Lane now and pointless me topping up weekend supplies at Tesco as it will have been cleaned out.

 

I hate this weekend

Maybe someone could design streets so they don't transmit sounds - I hear every conversation on street level from the 4th floor never mind the shouts and screams,

And why do taxis beep there horns at the festival goers.

 

[Rockets]

1 hour ago, malumbu said:

Glasto?  Who calls it Glasto?  You certainly aren't an old hippy.  It's been coined by radio DJs and toffs - Glyndo anyone?  Henlo?? Hollando???  Yes this is an irrelevant post.

I can assure you I am neither a DJ or toff but have always referred to it as Glasto...do you have an issue with that? In fact I was doing Glasto long before the toffs started going but haven't done it in a while because the last one I went to felt all a bit Coachella (which is by far the worst "festival" I have ever had the pleasure of attending).

The point remains that festivals have no place in densely populated urban areas and I do worry that the monetisation of our public spaces means we can expect more and more in future and our councils ignoring the input of local residents and they go chasing the filthy lucre!

[satsuma]

19 hours ago, Rockets said:

means we can expect more and more in future

Excellent, I hope so!

[Rockets]

Other local constituents are likely to be less keen on having an increase in noise pollution. Must be a change in wind direction but Brockwell sounds even louder today on the village side of Lordship Lane. 

 

 

[ArmandHelpen1]

1 minute ago, Rockets said:

Other local constituents are likely to be less keen on having an increase in noise pollution. Must be a change in wind direction but Brockwell sounds even louder today on the village side of Lordship Lane. 

 

 

It’s horrendous. I feel so anxious from the constant bass. 

[KS23]

It really is  affecting the nervous system I agree hate it !

[Hen123]

43 minutes ago, KS23 said:

It really is  affecting the nervous system I agree hate it !

I think that was my 20s. But seriously I am all for kids having fun but shouldn't they all be out in an abandoned warehouse on the M25 somewhere like we used to have to. 

[KS23]

It just sucks as it’s taking away the joy of the last May bank holiday and the ‘take a chill pill brigade ‘ is one i would used to have agreed with but god damn it in in my 40’s and want to do my diy disasters in peace 😵‍💫

[ms_wilson]

https://chng.it/YXCH5XXVMY

We live near and it’s absolute hell.

The noise of the people coming and going from Peckham is the worse. They are so loud and obnoxious. This is my 5th year of this nonsense. People vomiting in my front garden, urinating in my neighbour’s gardens, throwing food into my garden. Screaming waking up my children while waiting for their Ubers. The people that organise this festival are 100% obnoxious. They told us there would be security along our road (there wasn’t). I asked them to put up my family in a hotel but they wouldn’t. It’s actually a human rights infraction for all of us this badly affected. Over the years I have spent so much money trying to be away this weekend but none of us should have to. The data also shows that most people coming are not local residents - so of 3000 tickets sold, hardly any to residents; it’s easy to argue that it disadvantages us residents way more than any conceivable benefit. My elderly neighbours are besides themselves.

Every year the setup and striking of the festival blocks off the park during half term, plus the antisocial behaviour and loud noises mean actual children that live here are prevented from using the park and playgrounds.

The police initially rejected the license last year… then suddenly changed their mind with no apparent reason… seems legit.

Also the GALA team lie and make false statements in their advertising about consulting with us (they don’t they just tell us what is going to happen then are extremely obstinate and rude). My neighbour runs Friends of Peckham Rye and has been totally distressed by all the damage done to recent planting initiatives funded by the local community. GALA do not repair this, GALA pay off Southwark and then Southwark refuse to confirm what they are paid, or how much (if anything) is spent to repair the park.

 

This needs to be stopped once and for all!!

 

Petition asking Southwark to stop providing the license to GALA once and for all. 
 

I mean I am sure they will listen to us just like they did about the LTNs…

 

https://chng.it/YXCH5XXVMY

Edited May 25 by ms_wilson

[granadaland]

Us

and them...

[F.R.]

It’s 3 AM - Anyone know when this horrendous noise is going to stop?! We’re on the Sainsbury’s Local end of Landells and am quite frankly sympathising with all of you nearer Peckham Rye. My ears are ringing! How is this ok?! 
Edit: According to the website it should have finished by 22:30. What is going on and how is this acceptable (and not more people are complaining about the crippling sound levels we’re being subjected to?) - shocking.. 

Edited May 26 by F.R.

[DuncanW]

GALA did finish promptly at 10:30 last night, so it was likely something else you were hearing.

Sound does seem to travel in surprising ways but FWIW, we are a lot closer than you to GALA and could barely hear it this year, although it’s seemed a lot louder other times.

[Sue]

48 minutes ago, DuncanW said:

GALA did finish promptly at 10:30 last night, so it was likely something else you were hearing.

Sound does seem to travel in surprising ways but FWIW, we are a lot closer than you to GALA and could barely hear it this year, although it’s seemed a lot louder other times.

It wasn't particularly disturbing me, but I could hear the bass through triple glazing last night. I'm just off North Cross Road.

Can't remember what time I stopped hearing it.

I put on white noise if I'm disturbed by external noise, on phone or on Alexa. I just turn it up to whatever volume is needed to not hear the other noise, or at least to not be disturbed by it.

[first mate]

I am not affected by the noise but sympathise with those who are; it can be deeply distressing, residents should not have to leave their homes for four days in order to cope.

I am even more concerned about the impact on the nesting birds directly adjacent to and feet away from the heart of the event and its speakers, bearing the full brunt of that bass. The very same nesting birds that prompted Gala to put up barriers with notices bossily directing park users and dog walkers to be aware of nesting birds...the irony clearly lost on them.

My wider concern is of event creep, both in terms of the event footprint encroaching on more and more park and being in situ for more weeks and months in the park.

[Michappers]

7 hours ago, F.R. said:

It’s 3 AM - Anyone know when this horrendous noise is going to stop?! We’re on the Sainsbury’s Local end of Landells and am quite frankly sympathising with all of you nearer Peckham Rye. My ears are ringing! How is this ok?! 
Edit: According to the website it should have finished by 22:30. What is going on and how is this acceptable (and not more people are complaining about the crippling sound levels we’re being subjected to?) - shocking.. 

I am also at the Sainsbury’s end of Landells and I think it was coming from a property on Barry Road (at 12am I went for a walk to see if it was for some strange reason coming from the plough - it of course wasn’t). So it could have been a house or the church. If it’s a one off that’s fine - but it went on very late and very loud. 

[jazzer]

11 hours ago, ms_wilson said:

https://chng.it/YXCH5XXVMY

We live near and it’s absolute hell.

The noise of the people coming and going from Peckham is the worse. They are so loud and obnoxious. This is my 5th year of this nonsense. People vomiting in my front garden, urinating in my neighbour’s gardens, throwing food into my garden. Screaming waking up my children while waiting for their Ubers. The people that organise this festival are 100% obnoxious. They told us there would be security along our road (there wasn’t). I asked them to put up my family in a hotel but they wouldn’t. It’s actually a human rights infraction for all of us this badly affected. Over the years I have spent so much money trying to be away this weekend but none of us should have to. The data also shows that most people coming are not local residents - so of 3000 tickets sold, hardly any to residents; it’s easy to argue that it disadvantages us residents way more than any conceivable benefit. My elderly neighbours are besides themselves.

Every year the setup and striking of the festival blocks off the park during half term, plus the antisocial behaviour and loud noises mean actual children that live here are prevented from using the park and playgrounds.

The police initially rejected the license last year… then suddenly changed their mind with no apparent reason… seems legit.

Also the GALA team lie and make false statements in their advertising about consulting with us (they don’t they just tell us what is going to happen then are extremely obstinate and rude). My neighbour runs Friends of Peckham Rye and has been totally distressed by all the damage done to recent planting initiatives funded by the local community. GALA do not repair this, GALA pay off Southwark and then Southwark refuse to confirm what they are paid, or how much (if anything) is spent to repair the park.

 

This needs to be stopped once and for all!!

 

Petition asking Southwark to stop providing the license to GALA once and for all. 
 

I mean I am sure they will listen to us just like they did about the LTNs…

 

https://chng.it/YXCH5XXVMY

Have you changed the wording of your petition from Sunday, because it reads differently, sentences removed and new one's added????

Edited May 26 by jazzer

[sandyman]

Can anyone shed any light on what Southwark Council spends the money it makes from events like Gala on? 

[Blah Blah]

1 hour ago, sandyman said:

Can anyone shed any light on what Southwark Council spends the money it makes from events like Gala on? 

None of it is spent in the area local to Peckham Rye Park. This is something the council need to be pressed on. The 'Community Day' has started their sound checks and it's clear that is also going to be a day of loud music. So concerns about event creep are valid I think. As today is a seperate event, using the infrastructure, we will wait and see if the same noise abatement processes are in place. For those who say it's only a few days etc. Try living next door to blasting noise for 12 hours a day for three (now four) days and see how good your mental state is at the end of that. Yes there are balances to be struck but the distress of many local residents and those concerend about the damage to the park (and wildlife in it) are valid and real.