One Hackney Clissold Park Olympic festival axed

Emma Bartholomew, Senior Reporter Friday, July 13, 2012
8:34 PM

The One Hackney Festival planned for Clissold Park on Saturday July 21 - the day the Olympic Torch passes through Hackney - has been cancelled because of bad weather.

Hackney Council took the decision today to call off the festival because Stoke Newington’s park is waterlogged and has been deemed “unsafe.”

The One Hackney Festival parade with 15 floats and six soundscapes was due to end up in the park after a procession from Shoreditch, through Hoxton and Dalston.

This week residents were invited to apply online for one of the 13,500 tickets allowing entrance to the park that day.

The council is now contacting everyone who booked tickets.

John Hudson, secretary of the Clissold Park User Group, said: “Local people had been really looking forward to the event especially as last year’s event was also cancelled because of the riots.

“It would have been a great opportunity for everyone to share in celebrating our beautifully restored new park and we know that everyone is deeply disappointed.

“Let’s hope it is third time lucky in 2013.”

The parade will still run as planned along the same 2.8 mile route, ending in Stoke Newington.

There will be other free festivals taking place that day throughout the borough, where residents can celebrate torch bearers as the Olympic Torch Relay makes its journey through Hackney in the afternoon.

The council has promised “some extra pop-up surprises” around the borough instead, which it will announce this week.

Travelling vintage funfair, Carters Steam Fair, also announced this week it had cancelled its visit to the park this weekend, July 14 and 15, because of the bad weather.