Festival gets permission to boost audience numbers

BST Hyde Park has been given permission to boost its audience by up to 75,000 people.

The concert series, which will run over three weekends from the end of this month, has previously hosted the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift and Neil Young, and will feature Maroon 5, Duran Duran, Pitbull and Lewis Capaldi this year.

However, BST Hyde Park faces increasing competition in securing artists from other large concert venues in London.

The Royal Parks, the charity in charge of running Hyde Park, said it hoped the boost would help it "remain competitive in the market for artists".

In a letter, it said: "As a charity we are operating in a challenging economic environment.

"It costs around £75m a year to manage the parks. The charity raises around 85% of this money itself, with the remaining 15% coming from the government.

"In addition to generating vital funds for the Royal Parks, BST Hyde Park provides significant wider economic benefit, contributing millions of pounds to the London economy."

Previously, BST Hyde Park had permission to host nine concerts - seven with a capacity of 64,999 and two with a capacity of 49,999, adding up to 554,991.

But at a licensing sub-committee meeting earlier this month, Westminster City Council gave the Royal Parks permission to host nine concerts with a capacity of 69,999 people each - or 629,991 overall.

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