Live Nation has appealed sound and licensing restrictions placed by the local council on its Wireless urban music festival in London.
The operator submitted an appeal to Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court over rules set by Haringey Council over the event in Finsbury Park, North London, which is due to take place next summer.
While Haringey Council decided to allow the festival to take place, despite much opposition from local campaigners unhappy with anti-social behaviour associated with the event, it put several restrictions in place.
One was that performers should “not sing or play any vulgar, obscene or banned songs or carry out indecent acts or make any vulgar gestures, actions or remarks during the performance, or at any point whilst using an amplification device, including the use of expletives”.
Acts should also avoid attire that could “offend the general public, e.g. attire which exposes the groin, private parts, buttock or female breast(s)”. Sound levels will be monitored and a sound engineer must “take remedial action” to reduce the volume if the limits are exceeded or “on receipt of substantiated complaints of public nuisance”. The festival will also end at 9.30pm on the Sunday night, 30 minutes earlier than before, with the last sale of alcohol now at 9pm instead of 9.30pm.
In its appeal, Live Nation argued: “Wireless festival is unlikely to be commercially viable or practically feasible with such bass levels or with such sound levels on the adjoining Seven Sisters Road.
“Headline artists will be deterred from appearing and the enjoyment of the audience will be materially diminished, to the extent that extensive audience complaints about low sound levels will be received, there will be an adverse response on social media and the worldwide reputation will be affected”.
Two festivalgoers died at this year’s event, which was headlined by J. Cole, Drake and Stormzy.
Image: Achim Hepp
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