Crystal Palace Park — Attraction in London

This is in relation to a music event held at Crystal Palace Park this weekend, not the grounds of the surrounding park.

Firstly - the map we were provided for accessibility (disabled/mobility limited access users) shows a grass-covered arena and doesn't show the actual ground, gravel and stones. I am not a wheelchair user but I am disabled and the uneven, movable ground was difficult to stand and walk on.

I saw many wheelchair users struggling to move, even in the accessible seating area - by the disabled toilets especially was hard as you cannot wheel over the ground without help! One lady was trying to push her wheelchair to the toilets and it was like being stuck in the mud. Gravel and stones are not accessible! I asked to help push her chair over to the toilets - as there were no staff offering - which is not in my best interest due to own spine problem. She declined, as in order to push her chair over the stones, she'd need to be tipped right back and she wasn't comfortable with that.

The accessible entrance was UP A STEEP HILL. We walked around the whole perimeter of the park trying to find decent signposting to tell us where to go as the map provided doesn't seem to correlate to the physical signage around the park.

I asked one lady in hi-vis who was as helpful as she could be. She said there were two options. To walk the very long way back around to find the accessible entrance or to use the stairs at the end with the help of my Essential Companion.

As all the roads were closed and I had already had to walk longer than my body was comfortable with, I decided to bear the steps rather than walk another half an hour up the slight hill. We took the route with stairs and it was still a long distance, I saw a lady with a walking stick navigating the same route and finding it difficult. When we arrived, there was a bottle neck crowd being filtered through one gate - it appeared there was no accessible entrance.

I spoke to three staff in his vis who all said different things (the accessible entrance is through there with all the other people, the accessible entrance is up the steeper hill just ahead of this entrance, and I don't know where the accessible entrance is) whilst becoming extremely anxious that I looked to have no option other than walk in the tightly packed crowd, when you have a spine condition that effects your walking abilities, balance and orientation it is not possible to simply filter in behind people who are all keen to push forward and enter the event.

The fourth member of staff in hi-vis was a helpful lady who told me the hill was going to be a struggle for me in my condition and that she would help me walk through the crowd to the VIP or Fast Lane entrance with me EC, and she would then speak to a member of staff on the gate to get me through a less crowded way.

I was able to sit on a pillar for 5 minutes whilst we had our bags and tickets checked to go in. We were then directed up more stairs and once we entered the 'arena', to head to the info tent for an access wristband.

Once we'd painfully navigated over the gravel through frankly, uncontrolled streams of people from every direction making it dangerous for me & other mobility limited people to walk from one end to the other (due to the long and thin arena, causing pile ups, and the poor layout) we got our wristbands and were told there was no space on the viewing platform so I could try to use the ground access area (which had no chairs left) - which was really upsetting at this point as I was sore and needed a chair, but I understand that it was just a very busy day and the platform happened to be full. The lady said if you really need a chair today come back to me, or the welfare area and you can rest here.

Absolutely not accessible. A really tough and upsetting day! To get to the accessible seating you had to fight through the crowds - there was no walkway through. No even ground. No pathway without people blocking your way. Absolutely shocking and won't be back. If you're disabled - I'd think at...

Crystal Palace Park is a hidden gem in South London that truly has something for everyone. It’s surprisingly spacious, with a great balance between open, lively areas and quieter, tucked-away spots where you can just sit and enjoy nature. The trees are stunning all year round, and the grass is trimmed neatly enough to make it perfect for picnics, lounging, or reading a book in the sun.

One of my favourite parts is the relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. There are dogs everywhere—happy, playful, well-behaved—and if you're a dog lover, it’s absolute heaven. If not, just be aware you’ll probably meet a few furry friends along the way!

I went with friends and we spent time chatting under the trees, and then wandered over to the lake, which had such a calm, peaceful vibe. Watching the ducks and just soaking in the sunshine was honestly such a highlight. The park is also brilliant for people-watching—families, joggers, artists sketching under trees, kids playing—it has a lovely community feel.

There’s even more to explore too: the famous dinosaur statues, a maze, a skate park, and sports facilities. You can easily spend a whole afternoon here without getting bored.

One of the best parts is how easy it is to get to. Crystal Palace Station is just a short walk away, and it connects you quickly to other parts of London, which makes spontaneous visits so doable.

Overall, it’s a beautiful, welcoming park with great energy and plenty of space to enjoy however you want—whether you're looking for peace and quiet, a catch-up with friends, or just a sunny stroll. I’ll definitely be going...

This Park is b e a u t i f u l!

🦆🐦🌳🌲🐿️

An amazing topography nested away locally near Penge and Crystal Palace.

Nature:

The nature here is incredible. As a massive fan of plant life and horticulture, I can say that I'm blown away with the variance of fauna here. There are soaring canopies stemming from gargantuan trees. That doesn't diminish the incredible spawn of nature on the ground; ferns, bushes and bracken. The is a plethora of animals. From my time here I've seen: Pigeons, Wood Pigeons, Canadian and Egyptian Geese, Robins, Green Parakeets, Herons, Mallard Ducks and so many more. There is such a massive multitude of birds here, it's always a spectacle of nature. Everytime I come here, I see something completely new!

Atmosphere:

Everyone is friendly and mindful of each other, very polite and respectful. Everyone also takes on a shared responsibility to do third part in the parks maintenance, I visit the park religiously and I never see anyone littering, no cigarette butts, no wrappers, no bags.

Maintenance and Upkeep:

I'll be honest, I don't know factually if the grounds are maintained or not. But whether its nature's way or the groundskeeper's; the park is always impeccable. It's become a regularly astonishing view to take in. The grass is always trimmed perfectly (I presume that was the a groundskeeper lol) the lake is always clear, algae is a rare sight, the birds are always healthy and there is never any litter.

The grounds are beyond catered for, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that it is massively...