What license Do You Need for Public Events?

It’s certainly not the case that you can set up public events or public entertainment spontaneously without a license. You may require various different licenses depending on the nature of the event, along with any other considerations such as whether you’ll be selling alcohol. Here are some of the instances where you’ll require a license.

Alcohol Licence

Where you’ll be serving alcohol for free at an event, for instance at an art exhibition, you won’t require a license. If the event is one-off, and you’re selling alcohol to no more than 499 people, then you’ll probably need a temporary event notice.

For premises that supply alcohol on a regular basis, a premise needs to be licensed. Also, the person supervising the premises should have a personal license to serve alcohol.

Public Entertainment

Whether the entry is charged or not, when you host public events, such as theatre productions, you’ll need to have a public entertainment license. Not every kind of public entertainment may warrant a license, however, and now street parties can be exempt, depending on the nature of the event.

Where premises are open to the public, and you want to play music, you’ll need something called a PRS (Performing Right Society for Music) license.

Licensing is important, but it’s also very nuanced. Thankfully you can get lots of advice about how to apply for licenses, and what license you may require for your premises or event, by seeking the help of licensing solicitors.