Music festival extended despite objections

A major music festival has been given the green light to continue until 2030, despite objections from residents and environmental campaigners.

South Downs National Park Authority approved the application for one Boomtown Festival a year at Matterley Estate, near Winchester in Hampshire, with attendance capped at 75,999, plus an additional 1,000 people on Sundays.

The site, which is accessed primarily via the A31, will host a five-day event from 12 to 16 August.

Critics had raised concerns about noise levels and the impact on the local environment.

The lineup for the 2026 edition of Boomtown was announced in October, with acts including Madness and Scissor Sisters.

Co-founder Luke Mitchell, said the event would "encapsulate everything we love: intricate film-set worlds, twisting storylines, bouncing dancefloors, and diverse expressions of music and art".

But Alisson Mathews, who lives two miles from the site, said they had heard the bass beat "almost constantly in our house and garden" when the festival was on.

"By Sunday night we are exhausted from the lack of sleep," she said.

"I find it particularly disappointing to see the park authority failing its residents by ignoring its first purpose and doing nothing to encourage Boomtown to find an alternative venue outside the protected landscape."

Christopher Langford also raised concerns, arguing that the development should not be allowed in a national park.

"National parks should be havens for nature, not environments damaged by large-scale music festivals," he said.

As part of the application, organisers committed to a range of environmental measures.

These include the creation of a 4.2-acre (182,952 sq ft) on-site "biodiversity net gain meadow" adjacent to the South Downs Way, the installation of three new barn owl boxes and an independent ecological survey each year.

Boomtown director Shula Rael said they "understand the purpose of this park".

"We take those responsibilities seriously, and we deliver against them."

The application was approved unanimously by the South Downs National Park Authority.

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