Campaigners trying to prevent a “mega-music festival” being staged in Finsbury Park this summer are taking their fight to the High Court.

Friends of Finsbury Park launched a legal challenge after Haringey Council approved the event, scheduled to take place over a weekend in July.

A court date for a judicial review of the council decision has now been set for June 8 with a crowdfunding campaign to meet legal costs already hitting the £10,000 mark.

Campaigners argue that Wireless Festival, which this year features sets by DJs Calvin Harris and Chase & Status, has grown too big for the park and has caused “severe damage”, destroying grass areas and turning them into “dusty scrubland”.

Campaigners fear further events could take place in the park after fresh planning applications appeared for “a weekend of rave and drum and bass festivals” in September with a capacity of 10,000.

Wireless Festival organiser Melvin Benn has said campaigners fighting to cancel the event are “very straightforwardly” wrong, arguing that the festival only takes up 30 per cent of the park.

• Keywords
  FESTIVALS, POP MUSIC
• Geographical keyword
  FINSBURY PARK [Area]
• Persons keyword
  Friends of Finsbury Park, Haringey Council, Wireless Festival, Melvin Benn