Pub & Bar: Five points for planning special events

With this summer over, attention is turning to the autumn and winter and, for some, even to summer 2027. Often events taking place in the next few months, such as Halloween, bonfire night, Christmas/ New Year's Eve and summer parties are major drivers of business. This article looks at four key areas to consider in planning any such events.

1.     General licensing requirements

It goes without saying that prior to advertising or booking in events, it is worth double checking your premises licence to ensure you have the activities and hours needed. Likewise, check for any conditions that if not changed would prevent you hosting the events contemplated. If you need to extend hours or remove conditions, then using Temporary Event Notices, if you have any left, can be a cheap and simple way of doing this.

If you have a larger programme of events, then consider whether in fact a permanent variation to the licence might be more appropriate.

Also, look out for any seasonal and non-standard timings on your licence that you might be able to use, rather than any of the other options- these can be overlooked and prove very useful.

2.     Safeguarding and customer management

Running events will hopefully attract new customers and prove to be busy. Local authorities and police forces put a greater emphasis now on ensuring customers are kept safe when attending premises and events and as such, it is worth taking a little time to plan what to do in case of problems with issues such as overcrowding, intoxicated customers or in the event of allegations of drink spiking or harassment.

Schemes such as Ask For Angela in relation to harassment and advice on spiking from the Home Office can be invaluable in assisting with this.

3.     Halloween

Halloween is ever-popular in the UK and a large number of premises look to put on events. Consider whether ticketing can assist in managing numbers, which in turn can assist with staffing etc.

Give additional thought to the possibility of issues around safeguarding given the anonymity provided by costumes and make-up. You could also consider refresher training on age checks (especially with the new digital ID rules) and also check all CCTV is working in case of incident.  

4.     Martyn's Law

Whilst not in force this year, it is likely from April/May onwards next year that any large scale events (over 800 persons attending at any one time) on a premises will require either the event or the premises to register with the SIA. Whether the event or the premises needs to register will depend on whether the event is a true one-off, or an annual fixture.  

Q&A

Q: What are the key points to remember when preparing forBonfires and Fireworks?

A: There are laws around when fireworks can be set off: Most nights: 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM, Bonfire Night (5 November): 7:00 AM to midnight and New Year's Eve, Diwali, and Chinese New Year: 7:00 AM to 1:00 AM. Outside of these times it is illegal to set off fireworks. If in a residential area, it is worth notifying residents of any larger fireworks displays.

Bonfires require space and additional risk assessments to ensure they are properly controlled to minimise risk of unintentional fire or smoke damage/ nuisance. Also remember to ensure no-one can fly-tip your bonfire as a number of materials are illegal to burn.

Read more from Pub & Bar's October 2026 issue: Pub & Bar - Magazine

This article was first published in Pub & Bar

This publication is intended for general guidance and represents our understanding of the relevant law and practice as at July 2025. Specific advice should be sought for specific cases. For more information see our terms & conditions.