The festival will see up to 4,999 people gather at Cheam Park in Sutton for a celebration of South African music, culture and food
Plans to bring what has been called the biggest South African festival in British history to a Sutton park could see nearly 5,000 people attend a day of food, live music and rugby.
The inaugural ‘Lekker in London’ event aims to celebrate South African culture over the summer bank holiday, but some residents say the anticipated “chaos” could force them to leave their homes for the weekend.
South African native and event organiser Lyle Millar is seeking a licence to host the festival at Cheam Park on August 29, with plans for live music and alcohol sales from 12pm to 10pm. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he hopes the event will bring together members of the South African diaspora in South London, known affectionately as the ‘Biltong Belt’.
Mr Millar said: “For many South Africans living in Britain, the festival provides a rare opportunity to reconnect with a sense of home and community. At the same time, it offers British attendees the chance to experience South African culture, warmth and food in a friendly environment.”
The event’s licensing application is now under review by Sutton Council, while organisers are already selling tickets for the Cheam Park event, which was chosen for its proximity to the South African diaspora. However, this promotion has infuriated some local residents, prompting one to ask whether the council is “just paying lip service to this consultation” and whether the decision has already been made.
This objection was one of six official representations filed by locals concerned about the prospect of 4,999 festival-goers descending on the park. Objectors, whose names were redacted from council reports, fear the excessive noise will ruin their bank holiday weekends, with one resident noting that music at this scale “is intrusive even with windows closed and is likely to cause prolonged disturbance”.
Some residents have even said they may be forced to leave their homes for the entire weekend, with one family asking the council: “Are we entitled to a rates rebate for the time we cannot live in the property because of events you have allowed?”
Despite this, Mr Millar says he has written to each of the objecting residents and outlined how he will address their concerns. He told the LDRS: “We fully respect the licensing process and understand that local residents may have questions about any proposed event of this nature.
“Throughout this process, we have worked closely with the relevant authorities and experienced event professionals to ensure that every aspect of the event is carefully planned and responsibly managed.”
Mr Millar said security teams will be required to carry out a comprehensive weapon sweep of the entire festival site before any attendees arrive. In addition, all ejection and response security staff will be required to wear body-worn cameras to record any incidents of crime or disorder.
As the largest South African culture event of its kind, Mr Millar hopes ‘Lekker in London’ will strengthen community bonds and celebrate London’s diversity. Alongside South African drinks and braai (traditional barbecue), the event will feature live music from homegrown acts and a screening of the South Africa v New Zealand rugby match.
Sutton Council will now decide whether to approve the application at its Licensing Sub-Committee meeting on Friday, June 19.
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