Key Points
- Purim, the annual Jewish festival, takes place in the Stamford Hill area from tomorrow evening (Monday, 2nd March) to the evening of Tuesday, 3rd March 2026.
- Streets around Stamford Hill will be busier than normal as people celebrate, but the area remains residential with normal working days for many residents.
- Hackney Council and police encourage safe and considerate celebrations: consider alternatives to driving like walking, cycling, or public transport to minimise congestion.
- If driving, park and drive respectfully in compliance with parking restrictions to allow vehicles to pass.
- Do not drink and drive.
- Avoid playing loud music or sounding car horns after 10 pm; keep all music at respectful levels at all times and ensure music-emitting trucks are not parked in front of residential properties.
- For flatbed trucks carrying passengers, ensure required safety equipment, valid driving licence for passengers, and coverage by vehicle insurance or hire agreements.
- No road closures will be in place, so drive considerately.
- Residents can report noise complaints via https://hackney.gov.uk/noise or by calling the Council’s Enforcement Service at 020 8356 4455, with the line open until midnight on both nights and aiming to respond to all complaints.
- Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, extends warm wishes to Jewish residents and urges mindfulness of neighbours, with additional police patrols for reassurance; turn down sound systems and switch off after 10 pm.
- Similar guidance appears in past Hackney Council statements, such as for 2025 Purim (13-14 March), including avoiding offensive costumes like blackface and hanging effigies.
- Historical context: Stamford Hill’s Orthodox Jewish community, numbering around 30,000, has celebrated Purim vibrantly since the 1920s, growing post-Holocaust, with 75 synagogues nearby.
Stamford Hill, Hackney (East London Times) March 2, 2026 – Hackney Council has issued guidance urging residents to ensure a safe and considerate Purim festival in the bustling Stamford Hill area, where celebrations commence this evening amid a residential neighbourhood. Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, emphasised the importance of neighbourly mindfulness as additional police patrols bolster reassurance during the event. The council highlights that while festivities bring joy, many locals maintain normal working routines, calling for reduced noise and responsible transport choices.
- Key Points
- What is Purim and Why Does It Matter in Stamford Hill?
- When Does Purim Take Place This Year in Hackney?
- How Can Celebrants Stay Safe and Considerate During Celebrations?
- What Support is Available for Noise Complaints?
- Who is Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE and What is Her Role?
- What is the History of Purim Celebrations in Stamford Hill?
- Will There Be Police and Council Presence?
- Any Additional Cultural Sensitivities to Note?
What is Purim and Why Does It Matter in Stamford Hill?
Purim marks the Jewish people’s salvation from a massacre plotted in ancient Persia, as recounted in the Book of Esther, featuring costumes, feasts, gift exchanges, and charity. In Stamford Hill, a hub for Europe’s largest Orthodox Jewish community established in the 1920s and expanded post-Holocaust, the festival transforms streets into vibrant spectacles of colour and music, contrasting the community’s usual black attire. Photographer Neil Martinson of Spitalfields Life noted in 2024 coverage:
“It’s the most surprising festival in London… a dazzle of colour and costumes,”
highlighting its growth from modest home events in 1981 to major communal gatherings.
As reported in Hackney Council’s official news for previous years, celebrations include performances and flatbed trucks for passengers, but always with safety in mind. Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE, in a 2025 council statement, described Purim as
“an appropriate and auspicious time to encourage unity and to bring joy and happiness to oneself and to others,”
inviting non-Jewish neighbours to learn about synagogue prayers, Esther scroll readings, edible gifts, and extra charity.
When Does Purim Take Place This Year in Hackney?
The festival begins this evening, Monday 2nd March 2026, and continues until Tuesday evening, 3rd March, aligning with the Jewish lunar calendar. This timing follows patterns from prior years, such as 16-17 March 2022 and 13-14 March 2025, when Hackney Council issued identical advisories. Streets around Stamford Hill, home to 75 synagogues within walking distance, anticipate heightened activity without formal road closures.
Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE stated in the current guidance: “On behalf of Hackney Council, I extend my warmest wishes to our Jewish residents. As we are looking forward to the Purim celebration let’s ensure a safe and happy time for all residents and visitors.” She added:
“The Council and the Metropolitan Police urge residents to be mindful of their neighbours. Additional police patrols will be in the area during Purim for reassurance. We trust everyone will remember that many people are working during the celebrations and will therefore turn down sound systems and switch them off after 10 pm.”
How Can Celebrants Stay Safe and Considerate During Celebrations?
Hackney Council and the Metropolitan Police provide clear directives to balance festivity with respect. As outlined in the official statement, residents should “consider if you need to drive during this period. To minimise congestion on the highway, people can walk, cycle or use public transport.” If driving,
“please drive and park respectfully so that vehicles can pass each other and are in compliance with relevant parking restrictions.”
Further, “Do not drink and drive,” and
“Please do not play loud music or sound car horns after 10 pm. Please keep the volume of all music to respectful levels at all times and ensure trucks emitting music are not parked in front of residential property.”
For flatbed trucks,
“ensure they have the required safety equipment to protect your passengers, your driving licence allows you to carry passengers in this way and that your vehicle insurance and any hire agreements cover this use of the trucks.”
Past statements reinforce this: In 2022, the council noted,
“Road closures will not be in place so please drive considerately,”
mirroring 2025 advice from Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE and Cllr Anntoinette Bramble. Rabbi Schapiro of Hackney Citizen in 2024 urged the community to “celebrate wisely” and be “vigilant and not too dramatic,” emphasising care and sensitivity.
What Support is Available for Noise Complaints?
Residents disturbed by noise can
“contact the Council’s Enforcement Service submitting reports here or calling 020 8356 4455. The line will be open until midnight on both nights and will aim to respond to all complaints if possible.”
This service, consistent across years, ensures prompt action in the residential zone.
Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE in 2022 echoed:
“We’re looking forward to the annual celebration of Purim, and we want to ensure all our residents and visitors have a safe and happy time. The Council and the Metropolitan Police are asking residents to be considerate of their neighbours. During Purim, there will be extra police reassurance patrols in the area.”
Who is Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE and What is Her Role?
Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE, Labour councillor for Stoke Newington ward, serves as Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Regulatory Services, overseeing crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing relations, licensing, environmental health, and more. A British-Nigerian resident of Stoke Newington for over 30 years, she has issued Purim messages annually, including in 2020, 2022, and 2025.
In 2025, alongside Deputy Mayor Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, she wished:
“I wish everyone a happy Purim, and hope that everyone celebrating has a safe and joyful time during the festival. As always, there will be additional Police and Council Community Safety Officers in the Stamford Hill area.”
Her 2026 statement continues this tradition of promoting harmony.
What is the History of Purim Celebrations in Stamford Hill?
Stamford Hill’s Charedi community, now over 30,000 strong, began in the 1920s, surging post-WWII with Holocaust survivors. Purim evolved from intimate home affairs to street festivals, as captured by Neil Martinson:
“The community has grown so has the festival. This is a celebration of their strength, their joy, and their traditions.”
Earlier coverage, like Hackney Post praising 2020’s “safe and enjoyable” event under Covid restrictions, and 2018 Jewish Chronicle on traffic measures, shows consistent council involvement. In 2024, Rabbi Schapiro linked celebrations to charity, aiding 70 orphanage children impacted by Covid.
Will There Be Police and Council Presence?
Yes,
“Additional police patrols will be in the area during Purim for reassurance,”
as per Cllr Fajana-Thomas. This matches 2025’s deployment of Police and Community Safety Officers, and 2022’s extra patrols.
Any Additional Cultural Sensitivities to Note?
2025 guidance added:
“Please do not wear costumes or make-up that could be offensive… ‘Blackface’ is highly offensive… Hanging of Haman: Racist groups have previously used a noose… We should avoid it.”
While not in the 2026 notice, such reminders underscore inclusivity in diverse Hackney.
Hackney Council’s proactive stance fosters community cohesion, ensuring Purim’s joy respects all.
