Entertainment Licences

Putting on an event is a massive undertaking, and understanding the legal requirements only adds to the complexity. Navigating through the world of entertainment licences can be overwhelming for night club owners, festival planners, sports event hosts, and others.

Our licensing specialists possess extensive expertise and will assist you every step of the way – from the initial application to maintaining compliance. Rest assured that we will help you meet all legal requirements and steer clear of potential pitfalls.

Firstly, licensing requirements can vary significantly depending on the type of entertainment and the location of the venue, but the eight main categories regulated entertainment falls into are:

• plays
• film exhibitions
• indoor sporting events
• boxing or wrestling exhibitions
• live music including karaoke
• recorded music
• dancing by the public or performers
• any entertainment similar to live music, recorded music or dancing by the public or performers.

If you are intending to host or operate any of the above activities, it is likely you will require a Premises Licence or be required to give a Temporary Events Notice, however, to qualify as regulated entertainment, the activity needs to be performed in front of an audience for their entertainment and fall into one of these areas:

• it’s provided for members of the public (anybody can buy a ticket or come to the event).
• it’s exclusively for members of a (private) qualifying club and their guests.
• it’s arranged by someone who is trying to make a profit.

There are however many exceptions, for example the size of the audience and the time you intend to hold the entertainment to consider, so we would strongly recommend you take legal advice before holding an event or making an application to the local authority.

At Laceys, our licensing experts can handle all the legal aspects, allowing you to focus on delivering a memorable and successful event. By proactively reducing risks and addressing potential challenges, we assist in preventing costly delays and disruptions.

For more information, please get in contact with our Licensing Team.