Decision still pending on AEG’s bid to use Victoria Park for 75 days a year

Tower Hamlets Council has yet to decide whether AEG can use Victoria Park for up to 75 days a year, even though the company’s All Points East festival has already taken place this summer.

AEG, the company behind the festival, wants to fence off around a third of the park each summer for the next six years. Without planning permission, the limit is 28 days. The application went public in June, but All Points East ran from 21 to 30 August with it still undecided.

In 2024, the council granted AEG a licence to run its Victoria Park festivals until 2027. However, a High Court ruling meant festivals needed planning permission if their use of the land, including setting up and dismantling, exceeded 28 days.

In a consultation document sent to residents in February, AEG said that LIDO and All Points East, together with the associated “In the Neighbourhood” events planned for 2026, “will require more than 28 days”. It explained that this includes building and removing temporary structures as well as the event days.

Residents are divided. Saleh Ahmed, who lives in Tower Hamlets, said: “Victoria Park is very big. It’s never full. If they are holding events there, then it’s a great thing, isn’t it? It’s getting used. What is the problem?”

Shahela Begum, another local resident, disagreed. “It’s an eyesore [that] takes away the only bit of natural beauty we have in east London,” she said.

The council has said granting permission would “help maintain parks and open spaces as central government funding continues to reduce” and would support “a varied programme of events and cultural activity for residents and visitors”.

A decision is expected on 1st November 2026. Residents can comment on the application here.