Overview
- The South Downs National Park Authority approved an extension that keeps Boomtown at Matterley Bowl for five more years after a unanimous vote.
- The permission allows one event each year with attendance capped at 75,999, including up to 63,000 ticket holders and 1,000 local residents on Sunday, with five weeks to build and three weeks to de‑rig.
- Conditions require ecological gains that include a 4.2‑acre wildflower meadow by the South Downs Way, more than a mile of hedgerow work, 18.5 acres of woodland improvements, 42 skylark plots, 88.2 habitat units, retention and new barn owl, bird and bat boxes, and annual independent wildlife surveys.
- Organisers called the approval a major milestone after starting the application in 2018 and highlighted steps such as hydrogen‑powered stages, urine‑based fertiliser, and a 95% recycling rate.
- Residents and campaigners objected over noise and the use of a national park for a large festival, while supporters praised site management and studies estimate up to £36.2m for local economies.