A three-day Italian food festival wants a licence for up to 4,999 people a day on Richmond Green in June 2027. 45 objections and 10 in support; councillors decide on 19 October.
A company wants to fence off part of Richmond Green for a three-day, ticketed Italian food festival next June. Forty-five objections have come in, including from the Richmond Society, the Friends of Richmond Green and the four councillors for the town centre. A licensing sub-committee decides on Monday 19 October.
The application is for a new premises licence for the Marzamemi Festival on 25, 26 and 27 June 2027, with a capacity of up to 4,999 people a day. The papers are on the council’s committee website. The hearing starts at 7pm at York House, Twickenham, and is webcast.
What is applied for
The applicant is Marzamemi Festival Ltd. Companies House records show it was incorporated on 3 July 2026, registered in Isleworth, as an organiser of exhibitions and fairs. The council’s report describes the event as “an annual, family-friendly, Italian-inspired event”. It was held at Old Deer Park in 2025.
The licence sought would allow alcohol sales, live and recorded music, dance, plays and outdoor films. The hours applied for, from the officer’s report, are:
| Day | Open to the public | Alcohol sales end |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 25 June 2027 | 2pm to 9pm | 8.30pm |
| Saturday 26 June 2027 | 12 noon to 9pm | 8.30pm |
| Sunday 27 June 2027 | 12 noon to 7pm | 6.30pm |
The conditions the company has offered include that the licence is limited to those three days, that “live and recorded music” is “not the focus of the event”, that the daily capacity is agreed with the council’s safety advisory group at least 12 weeks ahead, and that no glass is allowed on site. There are 48 conditions in all.
Who objects, and why
The council received 55 representations: 45 against and 10 in favour. No responsible authority, which includes the police and environmental health, made a representation.
Richmond Green is inside the town centre’s Cumulative Impact Zone. Under the council’s policy, a new licence in the zone is refused if there are relevant objections, unless the applicant shows the event would not add to the problems the zone exists to control.
The ward councillors. Councillors Katie Mansfield, Paulina Vassileva, Massimo Chiesa and Chris Varley wrote as the lead member for Richmond town centre and the three South Richmond councillors. They say their objection “is not to Marzamemi as an event” but to moving it from Old Deer Park, where “the event can take place with less impact on surrounding residents”. Their letter describes the festival as “up to 2,000 attendees each day”. The application itself gives 4,999.
The Richmond Society. The civic society, which says it has about 1,000 members, objects because an area of the Green would be “fenced off and entry gated and charged for”. It says that is “entirely at variance with Richmond Green’s historic function”. With set-up and breakdown, it puts the Green out of use for about five days.
The Friends of Richmond Green. The group, covering about 350 households, says the 2025 event at Old Deer Park needed a noise management plan with a limit of 65 decibels at the nearest homes, which were 285 to 970 metres from the stage. On Richmond Green, it says, the nearest homes are far closer and the background level is about 40 decibels.
Other residents raise noise, lost footpaths, the cricket pitch and the cumulative effect of three days plus the build.
What the supporters say
The ten representations in support describe the festival as “well-managed” and “family-friendly”. Several say they went to the 2024 or 2025 event. They point to the security measures offered: SIA-licensed staff, bag searches, a Challenge 25 policy, first aid, and wristbands for children with a parent’s phone number inside.
The company’s reply
The company has filed a rebuttal, also in the committee papers. Its main points:
- the fenced arena would cover 15,859 square metres, which it says is 38% of the Green’s 40,700 square metres, leaving 62% open, including the main diagonal paths
- the cricket square would be outside the fence
- all music would be inside marquees, with off-site sound capped at 15 decibels above background and a resident hotline during the event
- music would stop at 8.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 6.30pm on Sunday
- children would get in free
- it has emailed every objector in reply
The company also says that whether it can hire the Green at all is a separate matter for the council as landowner, not for the licensing hearing. The councillors’ letter accepts that point. A licence, if granted, would not by itself give the festival the right to use the Green.
What it means for you
The sub-committee can grant the licence, grant it with changes to the conditions, grant part of it, or refuse it. It can only weigh the points the objectors and supporters have raised. The company and the objectors can appeal to the magistrates’ court within 21 days of being told the decision.
The period for new objections has closed. You can watch the hearing on the council’s webcast from 7pm on Monday 19 October.
If the festival goes ahead, the dates fall on the last weekend of June, when the Green is also used for cricket. Our things to do in Richmond page lists the Green’s regular events, and parking in Richmond covers the car parks nearest the Green. We will report the decision.
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