The controversial Festival of Light and Life returns to Market Harborough

A controversial Christian Traveler festival will return to Market Harborough this summer. The city’s fairgrounds will host the Light and Life Church Convention between Saturday, July 20 and Friday, July 26.

The event, in Gallowfields Road, attracts travelers from all over the country. Ahead of the same event last year, dozens of pubs and businesses in and around the town closed temporarily amid fears of anti-social behavior spilling over from the event. It also found online “scare” made shoppers reluctant to head into town, leading to a loss of earnings, a council report on the 2023 festival said.

However, police said following last year’s event that no cases of anti-social behavior were reported as a result of the festival. Harborough District Council is holding a meeting ahead of this year’s festival to “raise any questions they may have” about the upcoming festival.

READ MORE: ‘Lessons learnt’ from managing Market Harborough’s Light and Life travel event

The 2021 event, that year held in Oakham, led to more than 100 calls to Leicestershire Police and what a police inspector described as “considerable anti-social behaviour”. People not paying for food and theft were the main problems, it was claimed.

The council has no power to stop the festival, which takes place on private land and requires no permits, licenses or permission.

Council leader Phil Knowles invited businesses to attend a meeting to discuss any questions they may have. He also invited representatives from Leicestershire County Council, Leicestershire Police, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, event organizers and event host Leicestershire County Showground.

He said: “Despite the fact that this event is a private event, it is important that local businesses have the opportunity to meet with the organizers and representatives of public agencies to find out more about the event, to raise any questions they may have they also have to prepare for the increase in the number of people in the local area.”

The meeting will take place on Thursday, June 6. Only one person per business can participate. Anyone who wants to be there should email [email protected]. Further information about the Light and Life Church Convention should be sent to the showground at [email protected].

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