Martyn's Law for festivals and outdoor events
Open-air festivals and outdoor events are treated differently from buildings under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. An event is likely a qualifying event where 800 or more people are expected and there are checks at entry — such as tickets or passes. Check the official guidance for the exact definition.
At a glance
- Typical peak capacity: 500–50,000+ attendees
- Common outcome: Open-air events expecting 800 or more people with checks at entry (tickets, passes or invitations) are likely qualifying events with enhanced-tier-style requirements; smaller or fully open events are likely out of scope of the events regime.
These are indicative patterns only — every premises is different, and you should check the official Home Office and SIA guidance on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 for your own circumstances.
Use the free capacity & tier checker for an indicative view based on your own numbers.
Common questions
Does the Act apply to our festival?
It is likely to apply where 800 or more individuals may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time and entry is controlled by checks such as tickets, passes or invitations. Free, un-ticketed open events are likely outside the events regime. Check the official guidance.
What would a qualifying event likely need to do?
Qualifying events carry enhanced-tier-style requirements, including notifying the regulator and having documented public protection procedures and measures. Check the official Home Office and SIA guidance for the full requirements.
Our event is in a park with no fences — are we in scope?
The events regime is likely limited to events where there are checks at entry to the event area. An entirely open, uncontrolled event is likely outside it, but arrangements vary — check the official guidance against your event plan.
PremisesDuty provides software and document assistance, not legal or security advice.