Wireless 2016 Good To Go

Charity organization Friends of Finsbury Park wanted to stop the Festival Republic/Live Nation event from going ahead. It had raised around £11,000 to take Haringey Council, which granted the permit, to court. The case was heard June 8. A high court judge rejected the Friends’ argument that Haringey Council, which oversees Finsbury Park, didn’t have the legal power to allow an event like Wireless festival. This means Chase & Status, J. Cole, Future, Calvin Harris, The 1975, Martin Garrix, Jess Glynne and others will indeed take the stage from July 8-10.

A member of Haringey Council said: “We are pleased with today’s ruling, which means that large scale live music events in Finsbury Park and open spaces across London are no longer under threat.”

The Friends maintain that the north London park, where Wireless is staged since 2014, isn’t suited for a 50,000-people-per-day event. “We are not against Wireless Festival in itself, but its sheer size and scale is totally inappropriate to Finsbury Park,” the group says. “We are happy to see events staged which don’t involve the closure of one third of the park in high summer, are more inclusive of the local community, and benefit the Park itself.”

The group fears that this case will set a precedent for all other parks in London, which it says would be detrimental to the recreational life of residents. Last year, gatecrashers, violence as well as more serious offenses dampened the general spirit. The campaigners remain determined: “This is only the beginning and going forward, our fight will be joined by many more. We are now considering an appeal,” they said.