Economic impact survey suggests almost £5m generated for businesses in four boroughs adjoining Crystal Palace Park by the annual summer music festivals
Headline act: Alanis Morisette, coming to a big stage in a park near you
The line-ups for the 2026 big stage music festival in Crystal Palace Park have been revealed, and include controversial Irish hip hop trio Kneecap and Canadian A-lister Alanis Morissette.
Snow Patrol, Two Door Cinema Club and The Offspring complete the Festival Republic’s impressive line-up, which runs from June 26 to July 4.
“We can’t wait to see the park buzzing with music-loving crowds and unforgettable performances,” the Crystal Palace Park Trust said this week.
Morissette is regarded as the “Queen of Alt-Rock Angst”, who in a 30-year career as a chart-topping singer-song-writer has sold more than 60million records worldwide and picked up a Brit Award, seven Grammys and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony.
The arrival in south London of Kneecap may bring greater scrutiny to the Crystal Palace performances, as the Belfast musicians’ support for the Palestinian cause saw their show at Glastonbury last year subject to police investigation – though no laws were broken – and even had Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying that he did not think their act was “appropriate”. Poor lamb.
Shock tactics: police dropped their investigation into Kneecap at Glastonbury last year
Kneecap described the police investigation “political policing intimidation” and said their performance was a “celebration of love and solidarity”.
They said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close.
“This is political,” they said.
Tickets for Kneecap’s performance at Crystal Palace Park on June 27 are on sale now.
Festival Republic has been working with Crystal Palace Park Trust since 2021 to re-establish the park as a destination for live music. The park has a history of more than 150 years of live music and in the 1970s and ’80s was the venue for massive gigs by the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and Elton John.
Festival Republic’s converts over the past five years have included Iggy Pop, Blondie and two editions of Wireless.
The promoters claim that their events in Crystal Palace Park have given a huge boost to the local economy: an economic impact assessment survey of their 2022 Wireless Festival claiming a total of £37million economic activity.
Impressive line-up: Festival Republic are staging a mini-Glastonbury in south London
For the four London boroughs bordering the park – Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark and Bromley – the promoters say that the Festival generated £4.8million of additional income for local businesses that would not otherwise have happened. This included £500,000 that the organisers spent with 14 local organisations and more than £2million spent by festivalgoers and staff in hotels and guest houses.
In 2022, Festival Republic spent £10.7million on suppliers, contractors, artists and staff payroll in production of the festival, as 2,400 people – 960 of them locals – worked at the festival for an average of 40 hours each – the equivalent of 52 full-time jobs.
Festival Republic also took on a young person from an adjoining borough for a full apprenticeship.
“Festival Republic’s intention is to inject a new lease of life into the park with world-class entertainment, and put the park on the radar for music fans as a go-to for huge music moments every single summer,” the promoters say.
“By working in close partnership with the Crystal Palace Park Trust, Festival Republic can be sure that all op its events are contributing in a positive way to the health and reputation of the Park, benefiting the communities who use it, as well as the economy both locally and nationally.”
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