As of October 19, 2026, Tower Hamlets Council still has not decided whether AEG Presents can fence off about a third of east London's Victoria Park for up to 75 days a year for six years to stage All Points East and LIDO. The council's target date, 1 September, came and went, and it is now six months since LIDO cut two of its three 2026 days to rest the park's grass.
That pairing is the story. In April a major promoter shrank its own festival to protect the turf. By autumn, the same park's festival future sits in an undecided planning file, reference PA/26/00459/A1, with residents and campaigners objecting and statutory bodies such as Sport England and Historic England raising concerns about public access, noise and dust.
What did LIDO cancel, and why?
On April 9, LIDO announced that its June days headlined by CMAT and by Bombay Bicycle Club were cancelled, with ticket holders refunded, and that the Maribou State day would move to Monday, August 31. AEG's statement pointed to the weather and the turf. After last summer's drought brought what it called "well-reported dust issues," an "extensive reseeding and improvement programme" had worked, but "following one of the wettest winters in recent history, our advisors recommended giving these newly improved areas a little more time before starting the festival programme."
| Original date | Headliner | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| June 12 | CMAT, with Father John Misty and Sharon Van Etten | Cancelled, refunds |
| June 14 | Bombay Bicycle Club, with Metronomy | Cancelled, refunds |
| June 13 | Maribou State, with Kelis and Folamour | Moved to August 31 |
The festival said the decision was "made solely by the event organisers" and that the council had permitted the change. Jim King, CEO of AEG Presents UK & European Festivals, framed it as an investment: "Moving LIDO to August means stronger events this year and a park that's even better placed for the years ahead." CMAT told fans she was "truly devastated not to be able to play this festival."
Protecting the condition of Victoria Park is of paramount importance to LIDO and to London Borough of Tower Hamlets.LIDO Festival statement, April 9, 2026
Why does AEG need 75 days now?
The law moved under the promoter. Temporary uses of land up to 28 days a year need no planning permission, and festivals long counted only show days. After residents challenged events at Brockwell Park in south London, the High Court ruled in 2025 that build and take-down days count too. The AEG Presents application is its first for Victoria Park since that ruling.
AEG says it intends to occupy the site for up to 66 days a year and wants 75 for weather flexibility. Its planning statement insists the bid "does not constitute an intensification of the festival proposal." Under the plan, LIDO would use the park for 30 days and All Points East for 33, with at least 28 days of public use between them, and AEG hopes to run LIDO as a multi-day event again in later years.
What happened while the council deliberated?
All Points East ran across two August weekends, with headliners including Lorde, Deftones and Tyler, The Creator, without the application decided. The council said around two thirds of the park, playgrounds included, stays open during the festival.
Then the trees. On October 19 the Hackney Citizen reported that two trees inside the festival site, a black poplar and a silver maple, were cut back to bare trunks on August 25, mid-festival, although AEG's own method statement said "no tree removals or pruning works are proposed as part of the event infrastructure." Both were already rated in severe decline in a survey AEG commissioned in May. AEG said that "in agreement with Council arboricultural officers, the trees were reduced to monolith height rather than completely removed." A council spokesperson said the two trees were removed "due to structural decline, which posed a risk to public safety." Noemi Klein of the Protect Victoria Park campaign put residents' view bluntly: "The festivals turn the park into a complete dust bowl."
A promoter rested the grass for one summer. The council has yet to say how many summers the festivals can have.
What it means for London's park festivals
Since that ruling, a promoter that needs a London park for more than 28 days a year, counting build and take-down, needs planning permission, not just a licence. The council says the application "will be reported to the strategic development committee for a decision at a future meeting." The council had pointed to committee meetings on 10 September or 22 October; the first passed without a decision, and the Hackney Citizen reported on October 19 that it is still not known when one will come. Until it does, the 2027 LIDO lineup, and whether it returns to June and to three days, waits on a vote about grass, trees and how long a public park can be closed.