Plans for the Camden Music Festival, scheduled for September 12th-14th, 2025, are facing opposition from the Metropolitan Police due to safety concerns and budget constraints. The Camden Licensing Panel D met on Thursday, 31 July 2025, to discuss the application for a new premises licence for the event, which is planned to take place across several streets in Camden Town.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has raised serious objections, citing concerns about potential criminal activity, vulnerability of attendees, and inadequate consideration of mandatory safety measures. Inspector Peter Luciano, Camden Safer Neighbourhood and Town Centre Lead, expressed his concerns in a letter included in the report pack, stating that the MPS objected to the application because of concerns around criminal activity, vulnerability to attendees and considerations not being given to mandatory areas such as missing children and violence against women and girls. He added that the MPS is facing budget cuts and has no avenue to fund the additional policing resource required for the Camden Music Festival, estimating that policing the event would require upwards of 150 officers, a significant increase from the four officers currently dedicated to Camden Town's nighttime economy.
As someone who alongside my full-time role have policed public music festival events, the comparison between an event like British Summer Time in Hyde Park or Wireless in Finsbury Park to Camden Music Festival highlights the private organisers not taking into consideration crime and vulnerabilities that will come to the area.
The proposed location for the Camden Music Festival includes Hawley Crescent, Buck Street, Jamestown Road, Inverness Street, and Camden High Street (junction of Hawley Crescent and Jamestown Road). The application requests permission for regulated entertainment, including films, live music, recorded music, and dance performances, from 12:00 to 21:00 Monday to Saturday, and 12:00 to 20:00 on Sunday, as well as the supply of alcohol during the same hours. The total capacity at any one time in the free to enter areas is 2000 people, with a capacity of 2500 in the ticketed area.
According to the report pack, representations made by the Metropolitan Police Service, the Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board, and a local resident, Roy Walker, raised concerns regarding:
- The lack of engagement with Transport for London (TFL) and local businesses. The event organizers claim that TFL has been contacted and that a meeting with TFL was scheduled for 30th July 2025.
- The absence of protocols for missing children and violence against women and girls (VAWG).
- The potential for increased crime and anti-social behaviour. To address this, the event organizers plan to have a secure perimeter fence, SIA licensed staff controlling entry points, searching attendees, and a zero-tolerance policy on drugs. They also plan to use a two-way radio system for effective communication and surveillance. The Event Safety Management Plan (ESMP) outlines that crowd management and control will be the responsibility of the appointed security company, who will generate their own security and stewarding plan.
- Emergency vehicle access and crowd management. The ESMP also states that the event has a capacity in excess of the expected audience and all boundaries will be barriered to ensure the entry attendees is managed.
- Noise levels and disruption to local residents.
The supplementary agenda includes supporting evidence submitted on behalf of the applicant, including a case outline, management plan, amended conditions, and correspondence, as well as supporting evidence from the Police Responsible Authority. The police also want to ensure that a Safety Advisory Group (SAG) has been set up and followed, and an operational plan produced for their consideration. The proposed police conditions include that the Event Management and Operating Plan (EMP) for the event must be submitted to a Safety Advisory Group (SAG) no later than 3 months ahead of the event.
The Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board's concerns, as stated by Roy Walker, relate to the application not meeting the criteria for prevention of crime and disorder, ensuring public safety, prevention of public nuisance, and protection of children from harm, as outlined in the Camden statement of Licensing Policy.
The Licensing Panel D, which included Councillor Joseph Ball, Councillor Matt Cooper, and Councillor Sabrina Francis, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People and Culture, was scheduled to consider the application and the objections raised. The panel was also expected to review the ESMP submitted by the applicant.
A Community Impact Assessment included in the report pack noted that stakeholders had not been engaged with by the event organiser, and that the event would cause significant disruption.
The Licensing Panel D is expected to make a decision on the Camden Music Festival's premises licence application following a thorough review of all submitted materials and representations.
