You need to apply for a premises licence if you intend to conduct any licensable activities or provide any regulated entertainment from a specific premises or location.
Licensable activities are:
- the sale or supply of alcohol
- the provision of regulated entertainment
- the provision of late night hot food and drink
- the supply of alcohol in clubs
Types of regulated entertainment are:
- Performance of a play
- Exhibition of films
- Indoor sporting events
- Boxing or wrestling entertainment
- Performance of live music
- Playing of recorded music
- Performances of dance
Licence for music entertainment
Whether a licence is needed for music entertainment will depend on the circumstances.
A licence is not required to stage a performance of live music, or the playing of recorded music if:
- it takes place between 8AM and 11PM
- it takes place at an alcohol on-licensed premises
- the audience is no more than 500 people
You also don’t need a licence:
- to put on unamplified live music at any place between the same hours
- to put on amplified live music at a workplace between the same hours and provided the audience is no more than 500 people.
In other circumstances, a licence may be required. One licence application can cover all types of regulated entertainment and the sale or supply of alcohol.
There are exemptions from the need for a licence for music entertainment, in defined circumstances as set out in the Guidance, including for:
- places of public worship, village halls, church halls and other similar buildings
- schools
- hospitals
- local authority premises
- incidental music - music that is incidental to other activities that aren’t classed as regulated entertainment
Below you can find a document which contains more information on when a licence is required for regulated entertainment.
View the revised guidance issued under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 here.
If you are still unsure if you require a licence then please contact licensing@north-herts.gov.uk with as much information about your event or premises as possible.