A presentation and Q&A session on Gunnersville was held on Friday 23^rd August. If you want to open the presentation, open this article then click here. As it has maps and plans it might be slow to load.

This is what we learned:

Melody Blake, the Festival Republic director, said Gunnersville had a licence for concerts “in perpetuity”.

The original plan was for events over two weekends, but this year they are only using one (6^th, 7^th & 8^th September).

Licensed for 12,000 each night, ticket sales have been slow and that number is unlikely to be reached.

A higher proportion of ticket holders will want to arrive by car than for Lovebox, but the organisers do not have any reliable data on likely numbers. The acts on the first two days are intended to appeal to an older audience (mid-30s onwards), described as “calm audience, compliant”. Sunday will be for younger people (described as “vibrant”).

To protect residents’ parking, roads around the park will be closed from 3.30 (Friday and Saturday) and 12.30 (Sunday). Most roads will re-open at 8.30.

Doors open at 3.30 Friday with the first act at 5 pm: on Saturday and Sunday the doors open at 12.30 with the first acts at 2 pm. Finishing at 10.30 or 10.15 on Sunday.

Local residents said that their roads would be full before the closures started. The organisers said they did not have a budget to pay for longer closures, nor did they think it was “proportionate” to steward Popes Lane, nor do they have the power to direct pedestrians. Popes Lane will not be closed.

There are no special arrangements being made for pedestrians crossing the North Circular. Gunnersbury Lane from the junction to Acton Town Station will be closed from 8.30 to midnight.

The stage will be in a marquee with open sides (except the back) and the noise will be directed towards the houses of the Gunnersbury Triangle.

The event was very reminiscent of the early Lovebox meetings, with not very impressive organisation that was being tried out on the locals  to see if it worked. The weak financial position (only one weekend, slow ticket sales) may result in less investment in good management of the wider area outside the park. This is a pity, because the model they have devised could fit more comfortably and more frequently into the Park, with less impact on the residents and the area, than the disruption which comes with the 40,000 a night at Lovebox.

There are three phone numbers:

Residents’ Line 07756 571 288

Or 07928 288 976

Or 07957 187 494

There is a contact email:

communityliaison.gunnersburypark@festivalrepublic.com