Climate campaigners staged a protest at one of the UK’s biggest music festivals, against plans to revive oil production on the estate where the event is held.
The Matterley estate, in the South Downs National Park, near Winchester, has hosted the Boomtown festival since 2011 and is also the site of the Avington oil field.
DrillOrDrop reported in July 2023 that oil extraction was to resume at Avington, operated by Star Energy (formerly IGas), after a break of five years.
Boomtown is described as one of the UK’s largest independent musical and theatrical festivals. This year’s event, centred on the Matterley Bowl, attracted around 66,000 people.
The headline act, Sister Sledge, said in a video recorded at the festival:
“there’s a climate emergency and we need to act now. Please don’t delay”.
Members of Extinction Rebellion had a stall at the festival and more than 100 people marched through the site against the oil plans. There was also a protest outside the Avington oil field.
Corin Holloway, of XR Southampton, (pictured above left) said the march had been organised with Boomtown to make sure it was done safely and did not disrupt the festival:
“We had 100-200 people marching round the festival, chanting and singing to raise awareness about oilfields. Afterwards a few of us went down to the oilfield, which is on the site of the actual festival to take photos and make some short films.”
At an earlier protest at the oil field, Mike Nell, from Extinction Rebellion Winchester, said:
“Permission for further extraction of climate-destroying oil is inexcusable. Every day we see unprecedented wildfires around the world from Greece to California, caused by human-created climate change. When will our politicians make the right decisions, perhaps not until their own houses are on fire?
“We are here to call out the oil company and landowner that want to fill their pockets from climate vandalism. We assume that Boomtown festival will wish to find a new site, given the importance they place on the festival’s green credentials, we eagerly await a statement from them.”
DrillOrDrop invited the Boomtown organisers to respond to the protest and call to find a new site. This article will be updated with any response.
Protest photos by Rod Harbinson/RodHarbinson.com
Categories: Opposition, slider
DRILL OR DROP? 
Hmm, a pretty essential use of fossil fuel to get 66k people to an event! Hypocrisy at it’s best.
(My friends in Winchester inform me the roads around Winchester were gridlocked when the festival was concluded.)
However, nice to see the estate is finding several extra revenue streams to keep it making money. Apart from XR, I can assure any reader which one of the two the locals generally support. If Boomtown want to find a new site, there is a piece of “agricultural” land at PNR. Not too many in Winchester would be unhappy to see them go.
Meanwhile, the grain harvest in that area of the UK is way behind and heavy rain forecast again, so it looks as if the grain driers will be doing overtime-using oil to do so. Perhaps when the cost of that is reflected in food prices this coming year a few might begin to think about what is needed to produce food for them to eat, or beer for them to drink.
The Festival at Boomtown happens once per year, but the unlimited discharges allowed by the Environment Agency from Oil Well sites pollute the atmosphere every minute, every day, every week and every year.
Two of the most environmentally damaging gases being discharged freely into the atmosphere are methane and nitrous oxide which at the same time are a major health risk in the short term locally and in the long term to the planet.
The Permits issued for Singleton, Wytch Farm and Horse Hill allow “unlimited amounts “ of these gases to be vented freely into the atmosphere.
A recent investigation into the out of of control operations at Singleton have revealed a complete range of environmentally damaging events being allowed to happen
The responsible Regulating Authorities are supporting Climate Change by their failure to control these dangerous emissions
Sorry Derek but what you suggest is factually incorrect. The level of emissions from UK on shore have been discussed many times before on this site, and are tiny. A few cows worth of methane, for instance.
Last time I was in the area I watched a lovely suckler herd of Hereford cattle, that between them would produce more methane than this site. I like Hereford cattle and think they should continue to thrive, even though they produce some methane. Then, there are the schemes to maintain or increase the swamps in the UK, that also produce a lot of methane. Then there are those folk who live off a predominantly rice based diet-with rice production globally being one of the largest “sinners” in respect of methane emissions.
Thank heaven there are some regulating authorities who can regulate against some context of reality.
Martin, if you were to visit the Star Energy (IGas) Singleton site and witness the stinking smoke from the two huge flares, watch the methane (and various volatile organic compounds) “fugitively” emitted from the separator tanks (Flir Camera Recording 2021 and 2022 by the European Clean Air Task Force) : confirmed through figures via the Oil and Gas Authority as the biggest site source in West Sussex of GHG …. you would undoubtedly recognise that the damage is off the scale compared with many hundreds of cattle – whose natural process derived methane is not a radio-active concoction of gross pollution.
And then consider the 50m olympic sized equivalent of highly toxic, saline waste liquid permitted to be high pressure injected into the Ashdown Beds aquifer – ongoing since last Century (including the dumping of waste from other sites). An ever-increasing threat of forever contamination of our vital chalk aquifer.
No, I wouldn’t Philip.
You mean that saline liquid is taken from the ground and is then returned to the ground? Well, Philip, it is rather dwarfed by the radioactive waste generated by new nuclear, and old, that will require at least two GDFs costing at least £52B to accommodate. That is for when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. You know, the little matter of another £200B for 7 new nuclear plants that was not mentioned when the “something must be done” lot were shaking their tambourines. Perhaps you would like a GDF in West Sussex? The response to that reality? Firstly, denial, then someone else will pay for it!
Methane is methane, however derived. I like swamps, rice, dairy products and beef. What is required produces a by product-methane. Production of most things produce by products-I noticed a burning wind turbine recently filmed off the coast of UK, which was producing by products, yet the something must be done lot want many more of them plonked across the UK. Don’t start me on Drax-that “Green” monstrous distortion of an environmental friendly energy policy.
Sorry, Philip, you just continue the age old stance of distortion and an approach that simply does not add up. The UK Chief Scientific Officer confirmed many years ago what would be required to make the approach start to add up. Even then there are still huge gaps, such as where will fertilizer production come from to feed a world population that is on the path to 10 billion? (I have experienced directly intensive and extensive agricultural. 10 billion can not be fed by extensive agriculture, especially if swamps and forests are to be protected.)
Fortunately, I will not be around when Net Zero is followed by the reality of that particular issue. I agree with Net Zero, however the way it is being used to defend ill thought through dogma full of hypocrisy and self righteousness runs the risk of turning most of the population away from it. A global equivalent of the little old lady who is proud of her bird nesting box made of recycled wood whilst she loves her five cats!
About as hypocritical as using a plastic keyboard to type one’s ideas,when the alternative is not to offer these arguments, succumbing to the right’s determination to stifle opposition. Perhaps protestors are as informed about the essential irony of the situation as any negative leveller of accusations designed to deflect and divert, via demonisation and ridicule, from positive contribution to the awareness of people of the perilous course we are being steered. At least they are ‘doing something about’ the situation into which we have dived headlong, and of late fully consciously, by highlighting the need for more awareness as a prerequisite to a state-funded search for solutions. Their approach is positive as distinct from nihilistic.
Nonsense 1720-as usual. You mistake me for someone who has ever posted on this site against the use of fossil fuels-like yourself. Self righteous hypocrisy. I have a different viewpoint, so post accordingly. That is the problem with your Group Think-you start to confuse who is actually signed up to the Group. I support the production and use of plastic. I use it, and have no guilt-if I did, I would not use it!
Ahh, the “we” have dived headlong! Is that the “we” who have, worldwide, achieved a doubling of life expectancy over the time oil and gas has been available to most of the world?? “They” are perfectly able and have the opportunity to return to the good old days-when very few actually became old, but your confusion is that I am one of them. I am not part of the Group, so am not being steered by anyone-including activists. Sorry, but you need to define your target audience a bit more carefully.
What on earth has left or right to do with this subject? They all get energy policy screwed up. You are on the wrong platform if you wish to get a left/right discussion going. A state-funded search for solutions? Now there is a nonsense in itself. A tax payer funded is what is already underway, the State is just directing it down some very odd directions-which is no surprise because I repeat the State, whether left or right, has a long history of doing exactly that. Then, the next State, after a few years, has the job to redirect, and get the tax payer to fund all over again. However, I can recall a certain previous post from yourself which showed your confusion regarding what the State was responsible for, so the reality is probably not something that enters into your own activism.
To show the screwing up-was it left or right just a few years ago advising consumers to buy diesel cars?? Many did so, buying German “clean” diesels, that weren’t, and much of the diesel then required to be imported from Russia as processing of diesel in UK pretty limited. So, the UK tax payer having paid for that and revenue for Russia to spend on armaments now paying for armaments for Ukraine to defend against those Russian armaments!! Then paying for ULEZ as a nice little extra.
Fill your boots if you want your left/right platform, but be aware history is not on the side of either reference energy policy.