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Entertainment de-regulation April 2015

Certain types of entertainment were deregulated in April 2015.

Live and recorded music

  • Live unamplified music deregulated on any premises between 8am–11pm.

  • Live amplified music deregulated between 8am–11pm provided the audience does not exceed 500.

  • Live music can become licensable in on-licensable premises if the licensing authority removes the effect of the deregulation following a licence review.

  • Recorded music deregulated between 8am–11pm in on licensed premises provided the audience does not exceed 500.

  • Unlike live music, deregulation of recorded music does not apply to workplaces.

Schools – new exemption

Exempt from applying for live or recorded music between 8am–11pm on school premises provided that:

  • the audience does not exceed 500, and
  • the organiser gets consent for the performance on the premises from the school concerned

And, any entertainment provided by or on behalf of a school on their own school premises between 8am–11pm.

Hospitals – new exemption

Exempt from applying for live or recorded music between 8am–11pm on hospital premises provided that:

  • the audience does not exceed 500, and
  • the organiser gets consent for the performance on the hospital premises from the healthcare provider concerned.

And, any entertainment provided by or on behalf of a health care provider on their own hospital premises between 8am–11pm.

Community premises

Exempt from applying for live or recorded music between 8am–11pm in a church hall, village hall, community hall, or other similar community premises that is not licensed to sell alcohol provided that:

  • the audience does not exceed 500, and
  • the organiser gets consent for the performance from a person who is responsible for the premises.

Wrestling

  • A contest, exhibition or display of Greco-Roman wrestling, or freestyle wrestling deregulated between 8am–11pm, provided the audience does not exceed 1,000.

Films in community premises

No licence required for not-for-profit film exhibition held in the community premises between 8am–11pm provided that:

  • the audience does not exceed 500, and

  • the organiser gets consent to the screening from a person who is responsible for the premises, and
  • ensures that each screening abides by age classification ratings.

Travelling circuses – new exemption

Any entertainment (excluding films and a boxing or wrestling entertainment) taking place at a travelling circus, provided:

  • it takes place within a moveable structure that accommodates the audience, and

  • that the travelling circus has not been located on the same site for more than 28 consecutive days.

Summary

From 6 April 2015 the following are still licensable:

  • any entertainment activity after 11pm
  • most forms of entertainment activity in the presence of an audience of more than 500 people( with a few exceptions)
  • any sexual entertainment.

Contact

Safer Communities Service (Licensing)

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