The organisers of an outdoor festival set to take place in a park in Liverpool have switched the venue at the last minute after the city council raised public safety concerns.
The Fields of Éire Irish Music Festival celebrating the city’s strong Irish heritage and culture was due to be held at Newsham Park in Tuebrook on June 5 and 6.
However, on May 28, festival organisers said they had been told by Liverpool City Council they could no longer use the park due to security concerns related to Martyn’s Law.
Their statement said: “Despite our team successfully securing the full premises licence for the site, Liverpool City Council has pulled our land use agreement at the final hour, citing security constraints under terrorism legislation (Martyn’s Law).”
Liverpool City Council said: “Following extensive consideration with Safety Advisory Group (SAG) partners – which include Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, and North West Ambulance Service – Liverpool City Council, as the landowner of Newsham Park, is unable to issue a Land Use Agreement for the proposed event.
“The Council and SAG members have had lengthy discussions with the event organiser, offering support and guidance to ensure that the event could go ahead safely and successfully, but unfortunately concerns raised have not been sufficiently addressed.”
Read more: Organisers insist Liverpool festival will go ahead despite losing venue
The festival will now be held at Liverpool Olympia, the organisers said later on their Facebook page, adding: “Saturday capacity has now been adjusted to reflect the venue’s permitted occupancy levels through a combination of refunds and the removal of complimentary tickets previously allocated to agencies and stakeholders.”
The Protect Alliance’s Jodie Read said: “We urge any outdoor festival organisers who need advice on how their events may be impacted by the new Martyn’s Law to get in touch during the planning stage. We’re in the implementation period for the new legislation at the moment, so it’s vital that event organisers and landowners are both clear about their legal duties to help protect the public from acts of terrorism. We can help them determine whether their event falls under the act and whether it falls under the standard or enhanced tier.”
Martyn’s Law, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, became law after an eight-year campaign by Figen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, one of the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. It gives venue owners and managers and event organisers new legal duties to help protect the public from terrorist attacks. Read more: Martyn’s Law Factsheet – Home Office in the media
- If you need advice on preparing for the implementation of Martyn’s Law or other venue safety legislation, call us at The Protect Alliance on 02920 695994 or email info@theprotectalliance.uk