MD3351 Community Events Programme 2025-26 to 2027-28

1.1.    The GLA has, under the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (GLA Act), powers to promote the economic and social development of London and improve the environment in Greater London; and duties to promote tourism to, in and through Greater London. Events can bring economic and social benefits to the city; and major events can raise the city’s profile and present a positive image to the world’s media and potential visitors. 
1.2.    In addition, the Mayor is statutorily required, under the GLA Act, to carry out at least three public consultation events each year: two People’s Question Times (PQTs) and one State of London Debate (SOLD). 
1.3.    Community events celebrate the city’s diversity as its core asset. They bring people together in shared experiences and provide opportunities for social integration – ultimately bringing positive economic and social benefits to London. Cultural events enrich people’s lives, improving their quality of life and general wellbeing. They contribute to the London economy in the generation of jobs – one in six jobs in London is in the cultural sector. Free events provide Londoners with access to arts and entertainment, which they may otherwise not be able to experience. 
1.4.    Major events stimulate London’s economy as a catalyst for economic regeneration, and by creating publicity, increase London’s attractiveness to new visitors and investors, as well as Londoners. They provide a platform to showcase London on an international stage and attract visitors to our vibrant city. They also encourage the fuller participation of London’s communities. 
1.5.    In 2021, a report by professional services firm Hatch, and promotion organisation London & Partners, revealed that major events contribute over £600m on average to the capital’s economy every year; and can be a huge catalyst towards London’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The report estimated that every visitor to a concert and/or cultural event generated, on average, £23 for the London economy.
1.6.    The Mayor’s has stated:
“I remain committed to celebrating the enormous contribution all our vibrant communities make. Our diversity is not a weakness, but our greatest strength – I am proud to have delivered a full programme of community events on Trafalgar Square, from St George’s Day to St Patrick’s Day, to Chanukah, Eid, Vaisakhi and the incredibly successful inaugural Black on the Square.”
1.7.    The core events programme also responds to the Mayor’s vision of a ‘City for all Londoners’, as it supports: 
•    making London a fairer and more tolerant city that is open and accessible to all
•    one in which we can all live and prosper free from prejudice
•    enabling all Londoners to benefit from the city’s arts and cultural offer. 
1.8.    Community events also link to the Mayor’s Strategy for Social Integration, All of Us. Furthermore, in the Culture Strategy it is stated: 
“The Mayor will continue to fund festivals and events with an emphasis on more community involvement, increasing quality, raising profile and increasing volunteering.” 
1.9.    The events delivered as part of the Mayor’s events programme help deliver against these strategic aims, by celebrating our diversity as a city, and encouraging people to be proud of the wide range of different communities that call London their home.
1.10.    The GLA Events team (within External Relations) produces and delivers the GLA’s statutory events. It also delivers many core community-focused cultural events, as well as a series of events, services and ceremonies to mark key anniversaries or dates of community interest. These cover national celebrations, such as St Patrick’s Day and St George’s Day; and religious festivals that reflect the five main faiths – Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism – with events such as Eid, Diwali, Vaisakhi, Chanukah, and events over Easter and Christmas. 
1.11.    In addition, the GLA provides support – in the form of funding, venue waivers and officer support – to several large-scale community-led events. These include Chinese New Year, LatinoLive, and smaller grassroots events that engage newer communities, or those we don’t work with more formally yet. 
1.12.    Funding is also provided to support Pride in London, and Notting Hill Carnival, with separate Mayoral Decisions taken to approve our funding commitment to these large-scale, internationally renowned community-led events. 
1.13.    The Mayor’s New Year fireworks event, which supports international promotion, is also delivered by the GLA Events team; and is approved by the Mayor under cover of a separate Mayoral Decision. 
1.14.    In addition to the core programme the Events for London team delivers ad hoc responsive events. Examples of this have been vigils held in response to terror attacks, and subsequent commemoration events; development of the London Blossom Garden as a memorial to key workers and Londoners who lost their lives to COVID-19; and other ad hoc events, for example, screenings of films or sport events. 
1.15.    Previous research undertaken with community focus groups indicates a strong desire from communities to retain ‘high-profile’ community events on Trafalgar Square. Feedback shows that they offer a sense of belonging in London. It is recognised that, whilst engagement with the ‘target community’ at these events is generally high, there is potential for improvement. Events on Trafalgar Square offer great value in their capacity to bring together different communities, supporting social integration; and to enhance London’s profile as a diverse and open city for visitors. The importance of this should not be underestimated, and therefore we would look to continue this where the events demonstrate broad appeal. 
Proposed community events programme
1.16.    Whilst the community events programme is developing, the annual event deliverables during 2025-26 to 2027-28 are outlined in the table below. 

7/7: 20th anniversary
1.17.    2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the London bombings. To mark this important occasion, the GLA, working with the 7/7 Organising Committee (a group made up of survivors and bereaved) will plan and deliver a series of high-profile events. The format and content of these events are shaped and agreed with the 7/7 Organising Committee. For this reason, a larger budget has been requested for 2025-26, which is not required in 2026-27 or 2027-28. 
Statutory events 
1.18.    The GLA is statutorily required under the GLA Act to carry out public consultation meetings. These are in the form of PQT events and the annual SOLD.
People’s Question Time (PQT) 
1.19.    Following an independent review in June 2024, requested by the London Assembly, PQT events will take place in a specific locations across London that meet the venue and security requirements. The events provide an opportunity for the public to meet and ask questions to the Mayor and the London Assembly regarding their plans, priorities and policies for the city.
1.20.    Two PQT events must be held each financial year. October/November and February/March have been determined as the most appropriate periods.
State of London Debate (SOLD)
1.21.    SOLD links to the publication of the Mayor’s annual report. It is a flagship Mayoral engagement and consultation event for all Londoners. It provides an opportunity for direct engagement with members of the community to debate and provide feedback on the Mayor’s strategies and priorities for London. The event facilitates a Q&A session, allowing members of the audience to question the Mayor directly on issues of concern. Issues raised at the event can then be fed back directly into policy development. 
1.22.    The Mayor and London Assembly are consulted on locations and dates.
Programme costs
1.23.    The gross cost of the proposed Events for London core programme, running from 2025-26 to 2027-28, is £6,044,100. Of this, £5,129,100 is net expenditure, broken down as follows:
•    2025-26: £1,809,700
•    2026-27: £1,659,700
•    2027–28: £1,659,700. 
1.24.    This assumes that £915,000 is secured from third parties (details of which are set out in Part 2 of this decision form). If such income is not secured, gross expenditure will be reduced accordingly. 
1.25.    Due to the dynamic nature of planning for events, and the often-limited control over external factors (such as changing threat levels, which would impact on security and crowd management requirements), budgets for each GLA-delivered event are indicated as a baseline. Alongside this, a revised and realistic approach to event sponsorship will take place this year to support the event budget. It is the intention that any over/underspends on individual projects will be contained within the overall events programme budget. An assessment of affordability and monitoring of spend will be closely managed for each event in the programme; issues arising will be escalated appropriately. 
Sponsorship and other income
1.26.    For the events delivered by the GLA, sponsorship, other income and concessions (if relevant and appropriate, e.g. food and drink stalls/tents on Trafalgar Square) will be sought. All external income sought will be in accordance with the GLA’s powers and its Sponsorship Policy. Should income not meet estimated targets, the events will, wherever possible, be scaled to accommodate delivery within the available budget. Where funds secured exceed the need and capacity of the event(s) in question, the core GLA contribution to the event will be reduced and reallocated to other events within the core programme that may not have reached their income targets; and to support ad hoc small event activity. 
1.27.    In addition to cash income, we will also seek benefit in kind, such as contributions to event programming or other content, to assist in the enhancement and promotion of events.
 

Commissioned outcomes
2.1.    Bringing communities together, and increasing the engagement with London’s communities, is a key driver for our community events to support social integration. Our overarching goals are to:
•    identify and target specific communities to support, and highlight social inclusion across London
•    use community events to highlight a specific theme that’s relevant to the GLA’s priorities
•    maintain and develop a long-term relationship with the audiences
•    raise awareness amongst communities of other policy areas
•    set a target marketing reach for each community event after initial benchmarking
•    continue to review both qualitative and quantitative research to inform the programme’s development. 
2.2.    This activity will be measured through market research showing the diverse profile of event attendees, alongside the specific community audiences that the event targets. Audience engagement, awareness and sentiment are also measured through the event’s market research on recall and satisfaction levels; and through digital traffic and click-through rates on the GLA website. Each event will have specific targets for the audience demographic, based on benchmarking and community analysis. 
2.3.    Attendance at events stimulates additional spending. We aim to generate additional spend in the local economy of up to £15m. This figure is based on research conducted at GLA events; it should be noted that the true level of additionality that comes from extra spending is difficult to determine precisely, as the sample size of attendees at each event is relatively small. 
Additional benefits
2.4.    The additional benefits of the programme are:
•    an enhanced positive global profile for London, encouraging economic investment and tourism
•    education and increased awareness of other communities in London, encouraging social integration and cohesion
•    increased skills through volunteering opportunities.
2.5.    Whilst difficult to measure, there are several additional benefits that we are actively trying to foster through staging the events in our programme, including:
•    increased sense of community through volunteering opportunities and social interaction at events
•    encouraging Londoners’ sense of pride in their city
•    enjoyment and satisfaction to support the wellbeing of Londoners and improve their health and quality of life. This is particularly applicable to Londoners with limited disposable income; free events offer access to arts and entertainment that they may otherwise not be able to experience.
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Mayor and GLA are subject to the public sector equality duty and must have due regard to the need to:
•    eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
•    advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not
•    foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.
3.2.    The “protected characteristics” are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage/civil partnership status. The duty involves having appropriate regard to these matters as they apply in the circumstances, including having regard to the need to: remove or minimise any disadvantage suffered by those who share or are connected to a protected characteristic; take steps to meet the different needs of such people; and encourage them to participate in public life or in any other activity where their participation is disproportionately low. This can involve treating people with a protected characteristic more favourably than those without one.
3.3.    The events programme is planned to be inclusive and aimed at all Londoners. This will be achieved through the programme content; the broad and targeted approach to marketing channels; and access facilities at the event, specifically to reduce the barriers to attendance by people with disabilities or mobility issues. The events help people to feel part of our city; and bring communities together, supporting social integration. They are also a chance for individuals to better understand their fellow Londoners, and they support engagement with the city’s wide range of faith and community groups. 
3.4.    Focus group research about the events programme shows that participants value the range of events in London and appreciate the Mayor supporting these. They feel it is important to celebrate London’s diversity, and to increase Londoners’ awareness of different cultures and traditions. The research indicated a commitment towards inclusion, and an understanding that the Mayor cares about bringing people together. The events programme was seen as a good use of funding, with clear benefits to Londoners.
3.5.    Many of the events within the programme engage directly with specific community stakeholder groups in their planning, and highlight the contribution of specific communities – e.g. Vaisakhi (Sikh community), St Patrick’s Day (Irish community), Eid (Muslim community) and Diwali (Hindu community). However, the events are also about bringing different communities together, sharing cultures and supporting social integration. From research undertaken across the events, on average 81 per cent of attendees agree that the events represent the culture they are portraying well, and 62 per cent had learnt something new about the culture of the community whose event they attended.
3.6.    We will continue to develop our festivals to ensure they are high-quality, cultural events. Furthermore, we will work with communities to ensure our programme reflects their needs. Throughout the planning process of individual events, we work closely with the Communities and Social Policy Unit through project working groups to ensure that equalities, and the needs of those with protected characteristics, are considered in our event planning and delivery of the community events programme. We are also developing our community advisory groups to support the planning process; and are specifically seeking to increase our engagement with harder-to-reach communities. 
 

4.1.    Key risks and issues:

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
4.2.    The Events programme directly links to the following:
•    City for all Londoners: making London a fairer city – one that is open and accessible to all, and one in which we can all live and prosper free from prejudice. This enables all Londoners to benefit from the city’s fantastic arts and culture.

•    All of Us – Strategy for Social Integration: using sport, volunteering, arts and culture as powerful tools for social integration; and establishing London’s reputation as a welcoming city for newcomers from other parts of the UK and abroad, with opportunities to feel a strong connection and positive sense of belonging to the city in which they are living.
•    Culture strategy: the Mayor will continue to fund festivals and events with an emphasis on more community involvement; increasing quality; raising London’s profile; and increasing volunteering.
•    Inclusive London – the Mayor’s equality, diversity and inclusion strategy: celebrating London’s rich diversity and bringing communities together through a series of high-profile, accessible and inclusive events and campaigns.
Consultation and impact assessments
4.3.    Where events involve specific communities, these communities are engaged though community advisory groups to help shape the event and support the planning process. 
4.4.    Public correspondence (via the GLA Public Liaison Unit) and market research at events are also used to assess impact. They are considered in future planning of events, where negative comments and improvement suggestions may be reasonably addressed.
4.5.    Data protection legislation is taken into account for the events programme, and there is regular consultation with the GLA’s Information Governance team. We have processes in place to deal with data we receive and how we use it. This includes a process to seek approval for use of images taken of audience members and performers at our events.
4.6.    Local authorities and statutory agencies – including Westminster City Council (or any other local authority impacted), the Metropolitan Police Service, Transport for London (TfL), London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade and other key stakeholders to the specific event – are consulted and the event impact assessed via the multi-agency planning process (Licensing Operational Safety Planning Groups), and key stakeholder meetings. This is an essential part of the premises licence process. 
4.7.    Neighbours on Trafalgar Square are consulted regularly and through established quarterly planning meetings.
Procurement
4.8.    Events delivered by the GLA will be procured by TfL Commercial in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code, generally using the Events Framework for event-production services. Events receiving funding will be on the basis of funding agreements, with predetermined milestones to receive the funding. All events will be managed by an events officer from within the Events for London team.
Conflicts of interest
4.9.    There are no known conflicts of interest in relation to this decision form and those involved in the delivery of the programme. 
 

5.1.    Mayoral approval is sought for the 2025-26 to 2027-28 core events programme and associated expenditure of up to £6,044,100, of which £5,129,100 (£1,809,700 in 2025-26; £1,659,700 in 2026-27; and £1,659,700 in 2027-28) is net expenditure (details of which are set out at Part 2 of this decision form). This assumes that at least £915,000 is secured from suitable third-party partners over the three years. Approval is also requested for delegation to the Executive Director, Strategy & Communications (to exercise without the need for a further decision form) to seek, accept and spend sponsorship and event stallholder income, from suitable partners, which will be used to enhance events within the programme if secured. 
5.2.    The proposed expenditure for the programme is phased as follows:

5.3.    The GLA’s net cost to the community events programme (up to £1,809,700 in 2025-26; £1,659,700 in 2026-27; and £1,659,700 in 2027-28) is proposed to be funded from the planned events budget provision of £1,659,700 per year, split between Core functions and the Celebrating London delivery plan, subject to the budget-setting process, and that of future years, with an additional £150,000 drawn from the events reserves for 2025-26. Depending on the delivery of each event, there may be some budget realignments and reallocations required across projects, which will take place in-year as required, subject to the GLA’s decision-making process.
5.4.    The Events team is expecting income totalling £915,000 over three years (as per above) to enhance and supplement some of the events proposed. If the income target is not met, the project’s expenditure will be reduced to the funding available. Any income secured over and above the income target will be used to enhance specific events (subject to the funding agreement and funders’ approval); and, where appropriate, the GLA will look to reduce the GLA contribution where enhancements to events are not required. 
5.5.    The GLA: Mayor budget for 2025-26 and subsequent years has yet to be approved. Funding allocations in this decision are subject to approval of the budget for each financial year. Break clauses should be in contracts spanning future years to enable the contract to cease, should funding not be available in future years.
5.6.    As detailed within the main body of this report, the Events team delivers several other events during the year, outside of the current portfolio of community events currently seeking approval. These events will be subject to separate approval via the Authority’s decision-making process.
5.7.    The Events team within the Strategy & Communications directorate will manage these events programmes.
 

6.1.    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Mayor fall within the duties of the GLA to carry out a minimum of three public consultation events each year, and to promote tourism to, in and through, Greater London; and the general powers of the GLA to promote and/or to do anything that is facilitative of, or conducive or incidental to, social development, economic development and wealth creation within Greater London. In formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought, officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:
•    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
•    consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom
•    consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2.    The GLA may seek sponsorship when exercising its general power under its power to charge third parties for discretionary services under section 93 of the Local Government Act 2003, provided that the charges levied do not exceed the costs of provision (save for where the provision of such services in relation to the discharge to its duty to promote tourism to, in and through Greater London where costs may exceed provision). Such sponsorship is, in any event raised in accordance with the GLA’s Sponsorship policy.
6.3.    In taking the decisions requested of him, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty – namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.
6.4.    The Mayor may delegate the exercise of the GLA’s functions to any GLA staff member should he wish to do so.
6.5.    In the event that the Mayor is minded to make the decisions sought, officers must ensure that: 
•    they are content that the GLA can comply with any conditions to which the provision of any third-party funding, sponsorship or other income to the GLA is subject, seeking legal and finance advice as necessary
•    they do not act in reliance of: such third-party funding until legally binding commitments are in place in concerning the provision of the same; or any future year’s GLA funding not yet approved via the GLA’s budget-setting process
•    any supplies and/or services required for the delivery of the proposed programme are procured by TfL Commercial, who will determine the detail of the procurement strategy to be adopted in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code; and appropriate contract documentation is put in place with, and executed by, the GLA and proposed service providers before the commencement of the required supplies and/or services
•    to the extent that the GLA intends to award grant funding to third parties in respect of projects falling within the remit of the programme, such funding is distributed fairly, transparently and in a manner that affords value for money in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code; and appropriate funding agreements are put in place with and executed by the GLA, and proposed recipients, prior to making any commitment to provide such funding 
•    they do not make commitments, undertake activity or enter into arrangements that might have the effect of fettering the discretion of any successor administration (and include within all agreements that straddle the Mayoral term GLA termination for convenience provisions; and manage such agreements so as to mitigate risks of high levels of abortive expenditure being incurred).
6.6.    Officers must ensure, that they comply fully with all Subsidy Control Act 2022 requirements in respect of the expenditure proposed. 
 

7.1.    The project will be delivered according to the following schedule: