Venue – South Facing Festival (original) (raw)

Crystal Palace Bowl London

Musical Heritage

The Crystal Palace Bowl is an iconic South London venue with a musical tradition stretching back for more than 150 years! For more than a decade the Crystal Palace Bowl has lain dormant, but we intend to ‘reboot the rusty laptop’ (as it’s affectionally known by locals) and bring live music back to one of its spiritual homes in South London.

The first ever festival held in Crystal Palace was held back in 1857 (celebrating the works of Handel), while battle of the (brass) bands were regular occurrences until its destruction in the mid-1930s. The ‘Pageant Of London’, which took place during the summer of 1911 and attracted more than a million visitors, was held on the very same grounds that the Crystal Palace Bowl now sits on.

Fast forward to 1961 and the Crystal Palace Concert Bowl opened here with a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra, which gave birth to the ‘Proms In The Park’ series featuring deckchairs, picnics and Pimms on Summer evenings. ‘Modern’ music made its debut in 1971 with the one-day Crystal Palace Garden Party festival and the likes of Pink Floyd and The Faces on the bill. Elton John and The Beach Boys played the second Garden Party during the same summer, with Elton liking it so much he returned the following year alongside the likes of Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, Roxy Music, Yes and Lindisfarne. Later Garden Party events saw Lou Reed, Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood, James Taylor, Jack Bruce, Mick Taylor, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello and many more.

Bob Marley played his largest-ever UK gig at the Crystal Palace Bowl in 1980 at the last ever Garden Party.

More politically-charged concerts in emerged at the venues in the 80s with ‘It’s Only Rock ’n’ Royal’ headlined by Ian Dury and The Blockheads taking place on the same day as the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, while Curtis Mayfield headlined the Peace Picnic in 1983 and Jimmy Cliff and Gil Scott Heron played a London Against Racism gig there in 1984. The following year an anti-heroin benefit concert organised by Pete Townshend featuring Hawkwind and Dame Vera Lynn took place.

Over the next couple of decades, the venue hosted acts like The Cure, Pixies, and The Sex Pistols, though performances became less frequent, and live music gradually faded from this leafy corner of South London—until South Facing appeared, revitalizing the space with a new wave of performances.

Incredible Location

South Facing is built around sustainability, striving for zero environmental impact by partnering with local organizations and integrating eco-friendly practices in every aspect—from audience experience and travel to the use of recyclable and compostable materials. The festival has already hosted a range of top acts, including Dizzee Rascal, Supergrass, London Grammar, Richard Ashcroft, and Becky Hill.

Award-Winning Architecture

In 2024, South Facing delivered another memorable summer with a lineup featuring Grace Jones, Future Islands, Jess Glynne, Damian Marley, Popcaan, The Roots with De La Soul, and more. Once again, the Crystal Palace Bowl has become a must-visit destination for music lovers, reclaiming its status as a cultural landmark in South London.