Tramlines Hillsborough Park repairs: Why organisers went ahead on Sunday despite heavy rain forecast

The festival saw rain on each of its three days, with the heaviest rainfall arriving on Sunday, with parts of Hillsborough Park reduced to mud as a result, with organisations describing the amount of rain that fell as ‘significantly more than expected’.

Some residents have raised concerns over the state that the park is in after the festival, with others saying that the park is an important cultural event for which the park is the most suitable venue.

The start was delayed, for special safety arrangements to be put in place to alleviate any danger that the mud may cause. But residents have now asked the organisers why they went ahead with the festival knowing the weather forecast.

Organisers have said in a statement that they reviewed the site with the Sheffield Council health and safety team on Sunday morning and agreed on what additional work was needed to open safely.

They added: “The final decision was only made once all the work was confirmed to have met the requirements, with robust contingency plans also in place.

“Rainfall predictions were in line with the rest of the weekend and lightning was not predicted. On the basis of a rigorous assessment of all these factors, the decision to open was approved and the gates opened at 1.30pm.

“By the end of the night, 30mm of rain was recorded, significantly more than expected at opening time. Despite that, over 30,000 people attended on Sunday. The park was monitored throughout for safety and, other than the first band on each stage due to the later opening, the scheduled line-up was completed successfully.”

They have also explained what was done to protect the park, stating that they put down hundreds of square metres of matting on main walkways and across the arena itself.

They added that over eight tonnes of straw and additional bark were laid in key areas; cleaning machines were used to keep path and track ways free of mud build-up; and safety teams monitored conditions throughout the event and identified any areas which need more attention.