Lytham Festival gets permission to increase crowd capacity to 25,000 - but only for 'weekend' nights

Fylde Council’s licensing panel accepted that coordinators of the event, which has gone from strength to strength and now attracts top music stars – work well with the various authorities and that the event brought benefits for Lytham.

However, the application for a new premise license to increase the capacity to 24,999 on each festival night from Wednesday to Sunday in 2024, attracted opposition from a significant number of local people.

They raised concerns about parking issues, road congestion problems and a certain amount of anti-social behaviour from a minority of festival-goers after the concerts, including using gardens as toilets.

The decision allows the capacity for concert nights on the Wednesday and the Thursday to remain at the current size of 19,999, taking into account that local residents need to go about their working routines on those days.

However, the panel agreed to the application to increase the crowd capacity from 22,500 to 24,999 on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, with a number of conditions.

The application was presented by Philip Kolvin KC – representing the applicant, Live Nation (Music) UK Ltd.

Also attending were Phil Crier (PBC Licensing Solicitors), Daniel Cuffe, Joe Robinson and Peter Taylor on behalf of the applicant.

This year’s festival included names such as Jamiroquai, George Ezra, Sting and Lionel Richie along with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe.

Already announced for 2024 are Hozier, Courteeners, Madness, Rick Astley, James, Johnny Marr, The Kooks and Brittany Howard.

A statement from the panel read: “The balance that we strike is to grant the increase in capacity applied for so far as it relates to Fridays,

Saturdays and Sundays, but not for any other day comprised in a festival.

"We consider that the present size of the festival represents the limit of the adverse impact that the local community should have to

accept on days when many need to get home from work and prepare to work the following day.

"The mitigations that the applicants have put in place are welcome and generally effective.

"But mitigations can only go so far to lessen the impact of a very substantial event on a relatively small community.

“That is why an increase to 25,000 for each night, would in our judgment, be a step too far.

"We hope that our decision will ensure that residents are not further disrupted or inconvenienced any more than already experienced on week nights.”