If you are planning to put on a play, show a film, a performance of dance or have an event that involves live or recorded music with members of the public in attendance then you will require a licence.
If it is a one off event or performance it can be authorised using a temporary event notice. However if you wish hold such activities on more than 12 occasions per year you will require a premises licence.
If you seek to have a film classified for showing or reclassification of an existing film for showing within the borough please refer to our Film Classification Policy below and email the Licensing team to discuss further.
Download our Film Classification Policy 2017 [pdf] 290KB.
Entertainment deregulation took effect from 6 April 2015.
Any entertainment provided by or on behalf of local authorities, health care providers, or schools on their own defined premises is exempt from entertainment licensing 08:00-23:00 on the same day. There is no audience limit.
Live or recorded music at the non-residential premises of a local authority, hospital premises or school premises is exempt from entertainment licensing 08:00-23:00 the same day, provided that:
Live or recorded music at a church hall, village hall, community hall or similar community premises, that is not licensed to sell alcohol, will be exempt from entertainment licensing 08:00-23:00 on the same day, provided that:
Live amplified and recorded music will be exempt from entertainment licensing between 08:00-23:00 the same day, provided that:
Unamplified music is exempt from entertainment licensing between 08:00-23:00 on the same day, no licensing restrictions or audience limit.
Any entertainment (excluding films, boxing or wrestling) will be exempt from entertainment licensing, provided that:
Incidental films are exempt from entertainment licensing provided that the film is incidental to some other activity and does not undermine the licensing objectives.
Exhibition of films in community premises are exempt from entertainment licensing 08:00-23:00 on the same day, provided that:
Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling are exempt from entertainment licensing 08:00-23:00 on the same day, provided that:
In essence, any entertainment after 23:00, sexual entertainment or those events with more than 500 people attending will be licensable. There are a few exceptions.
The Live Music Act came into force on 1 October 2012. It removed the licensing requirement for:
For more information please email the licensing team.