After almost 20 years, the Crystal Palace Festival is no more.
Cultural celebration: the festival showcased music, comedy, drama and dance. Photo: https://www.guymilnes.com
The largely volunteer-led summer festival of music, comedy and arts, was first staged in 2006, by traders in the Upper Norwood Triangle.
At its peak, thousands would attend various events, many of them free, that were staged around the area, as the festival expanded into Westow Park and, later, into Crystal Palace Park itself.
But it had been on “a pause” since 2022, first because of funding issues, and later because it appeared, from a distance, that the big, commercial live events being staged in the park had almost overwhelmed the efforts of the community-orientated Crystal Palace Festival.
The Crystal Palace Festival had, in many ways, created the circumstances for Crystal Palace Park to be seen as a venue for big commercial music and arts festivals which are now staged there each summer.
The festival, dependent largely on public donations and grants, had struggled through various crises. There was a break in 2016, a virtual festival in 2020, and in 2022 they opted to avoid the big stage festivals in mid-summer with a move to a September date. But there was to be no festival in 2023, or since.
In a statement issued on their socials last month, the organisers broke the news of their widely anticipated decision.
“We’re so proud of the contribution we’ve made to the Crystal Palace community and its extraordinary arts scene,” the announcement said.
“Our work has always been from the community, for the community, and we have achieved so much.
“We’ve explored all the options, but we’ve realised we can’t continue to offer the programmes and services at the heart of this charity. So unfortunately, the time has come for us to close.
Fun and laughter: the Crystal Palace Festival survived the riots and covid. Photo: https://www.guymilnes.com
“It’s been an incredible journey since 2011, the year of the first Westow Park event, which took place the weekend after the London riots. We didn’t know if after months of planning we would be able to go ahead. But the police said they thought it would be good for the community, and so it proved! And we hope we’ve made people smile and given young people a good start in the arts.
“Thank you for being there, for taking part, and for supporting us!”
Teresea Forgione, the co-chair of trustees, said, “It’s the people that have made this such a special experience. Our flagship event, the Crystal Palace Festival, and our other community projects were only possible thanks to the energy of hundreds of volunteers.
“It has been a real privilege to be part of something so joyful; from filling Westow Park, rocking Crystal Palace Park with Morcheeba, bringing the festival to the Triangle and taking the festival online during covid restrictions (my own personal highlight).
“We have celebrated the arts and celebrated them being for everyone in our little corner of London.
“I want to thank everyone who has played a part in delivering our work over the last 13 or so years. Noreen [Meehan], our former director, was tireless and countless others have played a huge part. We appreciate everything you have all done.
“As one of our trustees said when we met for the last time, ‘sometimes good things come to an end’.
“The legacy of our work continues in the events that now take place in the park and around the High Street. We’ll see you there!”
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