LAMBETH COUNTRY SHOW: LABOUR'S SUMS DON'T ADD UP

Lambeth Liberal Democrats have called it “shocking” that Labour has cancelled next year’s Lambeth Country Show, claiming it would now cost the Council over £1 million, despite Council papers stating just six months ago that the 2025 event would cost £400,000. They are demanding an urgent explanation for this dramatic rise.

Labour announced the cancellation on 5 December. Cllr Donatus Anyanwu, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities, said the council would need to spend “over £1 million” to run the two-day event. But when Lambeth approved this year’s Show in June, the Council contribution was set at £400,000, reduced by £700,000 through infrastructure and staffing support from Brockwell Live, the commercial event series that precedes the Show.

The Lib Dems note that the newly quoted £1 million mirrors the figure from three years ago, before the Council partnered the Show with Brockwell Live - a move that had consistently kept annual costs down to £300–400k.

The Lib Dems have long asked for clarity over revenue from commercial events in Brockwell Park. Lambeth’s latest figures, published in November, appear to show just over £790,000 raised from events across the entire borough. Whatever was generated in Brockwell Park must be offset against unknown legal costs arising from Lambeth’s unlawful handling of this year’s Brockwell Live, a figure the Council refused to estimate when asked in July.

Residents will be stunned that, after all the controversy, the borough’s events income doesn’t even cover the cost of the Country Show. This is despite Brockwell Live having already applied for 32 days of activity between 9 May and 9 June 2026, including Field Day, Cross the Tracks, City Splash and Mighty Hoopla, with a month of restricted access to the Park for residents because of commercial events that historically subsidised the Country Show and reduced costs to the Council.

Cllr Donna Harris, Leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrats, said:

“Labour has spent years insisting that Brockwell Live’s commercial events were essential to fund our much-loved Lambeth Country Show. Yet despite a full month of disruption for commercial events already planned in Brockwell Park next May and June, they have now cancelled the Country Show altogether. It is an astonishing betrayal of residents and a failure of financial stewardship.

"Brockwell Live has applied for 32 days of activity across the park, making a significant investment that was meant to help keep this community event going while saving money for the Council. For Labour to pull the plug now exposes the hollowness of their claims.

"At the same time, millions of pounds have been squandered elsewhere: at least £1.6 million on non-disclosure agreements with leaseholders; £1 million in fines from the West Dulwich LTN that must now be returned; £1.6 million annually to leave Phoenix House empty for seven years; and staggering, still-unclear sums linked to Homes for Lambeth — with no transparency about the true cost. Add to this the legal bills from Labour’s unlawful actions over Brockwell Park events, and the picture is one of chaos and waste.

"Labour should hang their heads in shame. Instead of protecting a cherished community tradition, they have allowed financial mismanagement and secrecy to take priority over residents. Lambeth deserves better.”

The Lib Dems are backing Protect Brockwell Park’s call for the 2026 Show to go ahead in a more affordable format. They argue that Labour’s inability to fund a £1 million version and its waste of public money on avoidable legal action does not justify cancelling the event altogether. They are calling for a Country Show that can be afforded still to take place.

Notes to Readers - below are links to sources:

 Cllr Anyanwu’s statement of the costs of the cancelled Lambeth Country Show for 2026 is in this article on Love Lambeth:

Lambeth: New approach to Brockwell Park events programme proposed  - Love LambethLove Lambeth

The costs of the Lambeth Country Show in 2022, 2023 and 2024 are discussed in an Officer Delegated Decision Report of 18 March 2024, see paras 1.4, 2.5 and 3.4:

ODDR Lambeth Country Show 2024.pdf

The cost of the Lambeth Country Show in 2025 is discussed in an Officer Delegated Decision Report of 5 June 2025, see paras 3.4 and 3.5:

x 2025.06.03 ODDR Lambeth Country Show approval 2025 FINAL.pdf

The report covering events income for parks was prepared for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 19 November 2025, see para 2.28:

2025.11.10 OSC - Parks and Events - FINAL v2 i.pdf

The Liberal Democrat question on legal costs was asked by Cllr Matthew Bryant. The answers to his written question and oral supplementary are available on the webpage for the July Full Council:

Agenda for Council on Wednesday 16 July 2025, 7.00 pm | Lambeth Council