Liverpool City Council has confirmed that London's South Facing music festival will not be held in Sefton Park. Posters and information for the festival have appeared across the Review Field area of the park, presumably due to a mistake by a production company.
Barriers and Signage Confusion
Barriers are currently in place across Mossley Hill Drive, extending through Croxteth Drive and the park's internal walkways, to facilitate this weekend's Africa Oyé festival. A section of the Croxteth Gate car park is being used as the main production entrance. Signs advertising South Facing festival, which is held annually in South London's Crystal Palace Bowl, have appeared in several locations on the barriers.
The event is a ticketed summer celebration of live music featuring various artists and bands across three weekends in August. The signs state the festival is scheduled to run from August 7 to August 24, but there has been no confirmation that the event will return this year at all. Liverpool City Council also confirmed that South Facing Festival was never planned to take place in Sefton Park.
Likely Leftover Signage
The signs are likely left over from last year, as Africa Oyé may have used the same contractor and the signage appears not to have been removed before being reinstalled. Africa Oyé returns this weekend after its fallow year in 2025. Organisers of the UK's biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture decided to take the year off due to rising infrastructure costs, changing legislation, and the increasingly difficult challenge of keeping the event free.
The festival started in 1992 as a series of gigs in Liverpool city centre put together by Africa Oyé's founder, Kenny Murray. Its growth over the last 33 years has seen it taken in multiple venues, including Birkenhead Park, Princes Park, Concert Square, and Sefton Park since 2002.
Africa Oyé's Return
Paul Duhaney, artistic director of Africa Oyé, said: "We couldn't let the festival just disappear off the UK's cultural calendar. The Board, myself, and the team all agreed that a paid event would be a much better alternative to no Oyé at all, and I hope our loyal audience agree with the decision and keep showing us the support they always have." He added: "The change will enable us to maintain and build on the quality of the event that people have come to expect and ensure that those attending can do so in a safe and relaxed environment."
Road Closures and Access Restrictions
There will be a number of road closures in place on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21. Entry to Aigburth Drive and Croxteth Drive will be closed to general traffic other than residents and staff. The Croxteth Gate car park will be a restricted area with no public access until Wednesday, June 24 at 8pm. The Review Field will be closed to public access until Tuesday, June 23 at 8pm. Across the weekend, entry to Aigburth Drive and Croxteth Drive will be closed to general traffic other than residents and staff.
