Waterworks forced to relocate and change format for 2026

London's Waterworks has announced that it's taking a different shape in 2026 as it plans to take place at The Cause, citing delays in planning permission from its usual home, Gunnersbury Park.

In a statement shared with Mixmag today (May 7), the team behind Waterworks said: "It is with real sadness that we announce this year’s festival cannot take place in Gunnersbury Park, as the park has not yet been provided with the necessary planning permission to operate on the relevant dates in 2026."

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The festival, which was set to hold its first-ever two-day edition at the West London green space from September 12 - 13, will now take the shape of a 36-hour event at The Cause aross the same dates in a format it's calling Waterworks Extended.

Organisers say that further planning for the event at Gunnersbury Park would have left them needing to "commit hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of infrastructure orders, supplier and crew commissioning" with no permission in place to hold the event from Acton Parks and Ealing Council.

They added that the event would be "uninsurable" due to the lack of confirmation, saying that the festival is "not prepared to risk being unable to pay our staff, artists, suppliers, freelancers and crew" and "risk being unable to refund ticket holders."

All tickets already purchased for Waterworks 2026 will be valid at Waterworks Extended with refunds available, the team add, promising that the forthcoming event will feature "extended sets, extra music, extra production, outdoor by day, indoor by night".

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on X