Stop “The Marshtival” music festival on protected Keyhaven Marshes
The Issue
A 24 hour music festival called “The Marshtival” is planned for Saturday 19 September 2026 at Iley Point, Keyhaven, Hampshire (SO41 0TP) — a site that sits directly within the Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes: a Local Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and part of the internationally protected Solent Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar wetland site.
We are asking the relevant authorities to refuse or turn down the application for this event , or, at minimum, ensure it cannot proceed without full environmental assessment and proper safeguards.
Why this matters:
Protected environment. This is one of the most protected landscapes in the country. Amplified music, crowds, vehicles, and infrastructure risk disturbing breeding and migratory bird populations, damaging fragile saltmarsh habitat, and leaving lasting litter, light, and noise pollution on a nationally and internationally significant nature reserve.
Noise and disruption. Keyhaven is a small, quiet coastal village. Sound carries a long way across open marshland, and residents are deeply concerned about the impact on their homes and daily life.
Traffic and safety. The roads into and out of Keyhaven are narrow, rural lanes already under strain in summer. A large-scale event risks gridlock, verge and private-land parking, and blocked access for emergency vehicles.
A licensing loophole. We understand this event may be proceeding under a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) — a fast-track licence that does not require public consultation and largely bypasses resident objection rights, even though the impact on a protected nature reserve could be significant and lasting As a start up event, the intention is that the Festival would be repeated annually with long lasting and damaging consequences on a protected nature reserve and small coastal community.
We are not against community events in the New Forest — we are against holding one on a nationally and internationally protected saltmarsh, without proper environmental assessment or consultation with the people who live here.
We are calling on:
New Forest District Council and Hampshire Police to object to or refuse the licence for this event
Natural England to assess the event’s impact on this SSSI/SPA/Ramsar site and intervene if necessary
New Forest National Park Authority to confirm that such an event and its associated infrastructure - ie stage, marquees, tents - is acceptable under Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) planning rules
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service to assess wildfire risk
The organisers relocate this event to a more suitable, non-environmentally protected location
Please sign and share to help protect Keyhaven
Victory
The Issue
A 24 hour music festival called “The Marshtival” is planned for Saturday 19 September 2026 at Iley Point, Keyhaven, Hampshire (SO41 0TP) — a site that sits directly within the Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes: a Local Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and part of the internationally protected Solent Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar wetland site.
We are asking the relevant authorities to refuse or turn down the application for this event , or, at minimum, ensure it cannot proceed without full environmental assessment and proper safeguards.
Why this matters:
Protected environment. This is one of the most protected landscapes in the country. Amplified music, crowds, vehicles, and infrastructure risk disturbing breeding and migratory bird populations, damaging fragile saltmarsh habitat, and leaving lasting litter, light, and noise pollution on a nationally and internationally significant nature reserve.
Noise and disruption. Keyhaven is a small, quiet coastal village. Sound carries a long way across open marshland, and residents are deeply concerned about the impact on their homes and daily life.
Traffic and safety. The roads into and out of Keyhaven are narrow, rural lanes already under strain in summer. A large-scale event risks gridlock, verge and private-land parking, and blocked access for emergency vehicles.
A licensing loophole. We understand this event may be proceeding under a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) — a fast-track licence that does not require public consultation and largely bypasses resident objection rights, even though the impact on a protected nature reserve could be significant and lasting As a start up event, the intention is that the Festival would be repeated annually with long lasting and damaging consequences on a protected nature reserve and small coastal community.
We are not against community events in the New Forest — we are against holding one on a nationally and internationally protected saltmarsh, without proper environmental assessment or consultation with the people who live here.
We are calling on:
New Forest District Council and Hampshire Police to object to or refuse the licence for this event
Natural England to assess the event’s impact on this SSSI/SPA/Ramsar site and intervene if necessary
New Forest National Park Authority to confirm that such an event and its associated infrastructure - ie stage, marquees, tents - is acceptable under Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) planning rules
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service to assess wildfire risk
The organisers relocate this event to a more suitable, non-environmentally protected location
Please sign and share to help protect Keyhaven
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Petition created on 9 August 2026