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

Entertainment deregulation took effect from 6 April 2015.

Cross-activity exemption

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:

• The audience does not exceed 500, and
• The organiser gets consent from the proprietor concerned

Community premises

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:

• The audience does not exceed 500, and
• The organiser gets consent from the person responsible for the premises

Live amplified and recorded music

Live amplified and recorded music will be exempt from entertainment licensing between 08:00-23:00 the same day, provided that:

• The premises has an on-Licence, and
• The audience does not exceed 500
• Workplace (pub garden) exemption applies to live amplified music only

Unamplified music

Unamplified music is exempt from entertainment licensing between 08:00-23:00 on the same day, no licensing restrictions or audience limit.

Circuses

Any entertainment (excluding films, boxing or wrestling) will be exempt from entertainment licensing, provided that:

• It takes place within a movable structure that accommodate the audience, and
• It has not been located on the same site for more than 28 consecutive days

Incidental films

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

Exhibition of films in community premises are exempt from entertainment licensing 08:00-23:00 on the same day, provided that:

• The audience does not exceed 500, and
• Each screening abides by age classification ratings

Olympic wrestling disciplines

Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling are exempt from entertainment licensing 08:00-23:00 on the same day, provided that:

• The audience does not exceed 1000, and takes place wholly inside a building, and
• The spectators are accommodated wholly inside that building

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.

Live Music Act 2012

The Live Music Act came into force on 1 October 2012. It removed the licensing requirement for:

• Unamplified live music taking place between 08:00 and 23:00 in all venues
• Amplified live music taking place between 08:00 and 23:00 before audiences of no more than 200 persons on premises authorised to supply alcohol for consumption on the premises
• Amplified live music taking place between 08:00 and 23:00 before audiences of no more than 200 persons in workplaces not otherwise licensed under the 2003 Act (or licensed only for the provision of late night refreshment)
• The provision of entertainment facilities
• Widens the licensing exemption for live music integral to a performance of Morris dancing or dancing of a similar type, so that the exemption applies to live or recorded music instead of unamplified live music

Contact us

For more information please email the licensing team.