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Licences and permits
We licence and inspect entertainment places to make sure they maintain high standards of management and have suitable arrangements in place for managing fires and other safety risks.
We also make sure premises are:
This also applies to outdoor entertainment.
Before applying for an entertainment licence, check if you need planning permission for both indoor and outdoor areas of the entertainment premises with our Planning Service.
If you provide, or want to provide, entertainment at a venue within the Belfast City Council electoral area, you must have a valid entertainment licence from us.
This applies to:
Exemptions can be made for religious occasions and in certain circumstances, schools.
You must be 18 or older to apply for a licence.
You should also contact us if you're thinking of holding an event and are unsure if you need a licence or are unsure of the safety measures needed.
You can apply online for indoor and outdoor entertainment licences - both for the new grant of a licence or for the renewal of an existing licence.
Apply for an indoor entertainment licence
Apply for an outdoor entertainment licence
Read the terms and conditions for online services and our privacy statement.
If you're applying for a new licence, renewing an existing licence, or transferring and varying an existing licence, you'll need to complete different forms.
Post us a completed application form, along with the relevant documents and fee.
Building Control
Ground Floor
Cecil Ward Building
4-10 Linenhall Street
Belfast
BT2 8BP
To request the appropriate entertainment licence forms, email buildingcontrollicensing@belfastcity.gov.uk or call us on 028 9027 0650. Our public office in the Cecil War Building is currently closed. Normally you can also call into our public office and pick up the relevant documents.
The type of licence depends on the entertainment that you provide. Although we issue licences for both indoor and outdoor events, their conditions vary depending on how often you provide entertainment and the nature of the premises where it will take place.
If you want to apply for both, you must make separate applications and supply the accompanying information for both types of licence.
| Type of entertainment | Licence |
|---|---|
| Theatrical performances Dancing Singing Music or other similar entertainment Circuses Public contests, matches, exhibitions or displays of boxing, wrestling, judo and karate (or other similar sport). Billiards, pool, snooker or darts (or other similar game) |
Indoor licence |
| Any public musical entertainment held entirely or mainly in the open air on private land (regardless of any change) | Outdoor licence |
| Garden fetes or bazaars Religious meetings or services Exhibitions or sales of work Sports or athletics events Other functions or events of a similar nature (limited to one day or extended over two or more days) |
No licence needed |
| Date and frequency | Licence needed | Variation |
|---|---|---|
|
Annual licence |
|
| Infrequent | Occasional licence |
|
If you are granted a 14 day unspecified occasional licence, you must notify us at least 14 days before each event is due to take place.
| Type of premises | Licence needed |
|---|---|
| Premises already open | Grant |
| Premises currently being constructed, extended or altered | Provisional grant |
Fees can be paid by cheque or postal or money order (made payable to Belfast City Council), or by credit and debit card using our online payment system.
You must provide a range of documents relating to your premises. If you're applying for a renewal, transfer or variation of an existing licence, you must also supply the certificates listed below.
For a grant application you must also submit three copies of the floor plan of your premises (at a scale of 1:100). You must also do this if you're applying for a variation of your existing licence and have altered the layout of your premises, added another area to be licensed or intend to do so.
Send hard copies to:
Building Control
Ground Floor
Cecil Ward Building
4-10 Linenhall Street
Belfast
BT2 8BP
| Type of document | Document duration |
|---|---|
| Fire safety drawings | Required when you apply for a grant of an entertainment licence and when you apply for a variation |
| Fire Risk Assessment | One year |
| Entertainment licence advertisement | One year |
| Public liability insurance declaration | One year |
| Emergency lighting certificate | One year |
| Fire alarm certificate | One year |
| Fire extinguisher certificate | One year |
| Electrical certificate | Maximum of three years |
| Ceiling certificate | As requested by the surveyor |
| Structural floor certificate | Indefinite - this will then only be needed if your premises are altered or extended |
| Acoustic report | As requested by the surveyor |
Contact us if you want further information about:
Allow a minimum of 28 days from the date of receipt for us to process your application.
Tacit approval does not apply to entertainment licence applications and you should not consider your licence granted until you receive formal confirmation from us.
We consult with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service when considering entertainment licensing applications and take any observations they make into account. We also give other interested parties the chance to express their views before we make our final decision.
During this time, the licensing surveyor will inspect your premises. We can't progress your application or carry out an inspection until we receive three copies of the floor plans of your premises.
We may ask you to undertake remedial work at your premises to bring the building up to a suitable standard before we can issue a licence.
Within seven days of submitting your application, you must also place legal notice of it in one local newspaper. These are not required for applications for a 14 day occasional licence made by schools or for church halls.
Contact us if you want further information about advertising.
If we receive objections to an application which are not resolved through mediation, the application will be referred to our Licensing Committee for further consideration. If this happens, both you and anyone who objects to your application will have the chance to present a case to the committee.
If an application is refused or where terms, conditions or restrictions are imposed or where a licence is revoked, you have the right to appeal our decision. Appeals must be lodged within 21 days of you being informed of the decision to the County Court. Their decision is final.
You shouldn't consider your licence granted until you receive formal confirmation from us. And you shouldn’t provide any entertainment at your premises until we issue you with a valid entertainment licence.
All entertainment licences are granted for a period of up to 12 months and are subject to standard conditions such as:
Applications for renewals should be submitted at least one month before your licence is due to expire. We'll write to you in advance to remind you to renew your licence.
If you're issued with a licence for the first time, you’ll receive either a hardcopy or digital copy of our Rules of Management for Places of Indoor Entertainment document. These rules help you manage and operate your licensed premises properly. You must keep these on site at all time as part of the conditions of your licence. Our licensing surveyors may ask to see it when carrying out performance inspections. Email buildingcontrollicensing@belfastcity.gov.uk if you want a replacement hardcopy or a digital copy of the Rules of Management
If you are granted a licence, your premises will be inspected regularly to check that you are complying with the conditions of your licence and managing the premises properly. If necessary, our surveyors can take enforcement action to ensure you’re meeting with the licence conditions.
It's a serious offence to breach the terms of an entertainment licence, especially to allow overcrowding. This can lead to your licence being revoked or suspended, as well as a fine of up to £20,000.
The cost of an entertainment licence depends on the type of licence that you need. These fees are non-refundable, even if your application is refused.
| Type of licence | Number of people or type of event | Grant fee (based on maximum number of patrons) These fees apply for both grant and renewal applications. |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor entertainment licence (annual) | Less than 100 | £100 |
| 101 to 200 | £150 | |
| 201 - 300 | £250 | |
| 301 - 500 | £400 | |
| 501 - 1,000 | £750 | |
| More than 1,000 | £1,000 | |
| £100
This fee does not apply when the machines or equipment are not the main focus of entertainment and are provided as an addition to the main use of the premises. |
||
|
Machines or equipment for entertainment or amusement (excluding gaming machines). Equipment for billiards, pool, snooker or other similar game. |
||
| Circus | £50 | |
| Indoor entertainment licence (14-day occasional) | Less than 100 | £50 |
| 101 -200 | £75 | |
| 201 - 300 | £125 | |
| 301 - 500 | £200 | |
| 501 to 1,000 | £375 | |
| More than 1,000 | £500 | |
| Schools, church halls, voluntary organisations (holding a non-profit event) or charities wishing to hold an indoor entertainment event | £50 (set fee regardless of the number of patrons) | |
| Outdoor entertainment licence (music) | Less than 500 | £1,000 |
| More than 500 | £2,000 | |
| Outdoor entertainment licence (music) (For voluntary groups and charities) |
Less than 500 | £125 |
| More than 500 | £250 | |
| Variations to the terms, conditions or restrictions of an existing entertainment licence cost: £80 | ||
Fees can be paid by cheque or postal or money order (made payable to Belfast City Council), or by credit and debit card using our online payment system.
If you want to hold a large outdoor event, such as a concert or other musical entertainment, you'll need a licence from us.
Licensing events in this way helps to ensure high standards of health and safety management and minimises the impact it may have on local residents.
Once you have been granted an entertainment licence, you must supply us with an event management plan specific to your event at least one month before it's due to take place (for larger events, more time is needed). Your plan should provide proposals on issues such as:
The finish time for outdoor events is normally 11pm. You must consult us in advance if you want your event to finish after this time.
You'll also need to consider how you manage litter and waste at your event.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides health and safety information for the organisation of events (link opens in new window) on their website.
You may also want to subscribe to the Purple Guide (link opens in new window) which was written by the Events Industry Forum in consultation with the events industry and the HSE. Its aim is to help event organisers to manage health and safety, particularly at large-scale music and similar events.
For more information and advice, get in touch.
buildingcontrollicensing@belfastcity.gov.uk
Building Control, Ground Floor, Cecil Ward Building, 4-10 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8BP
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