Martyn’s Law and Events: What UK Event Planners Need to Know

If you work in events and haven’t looked at Martyn’s Law yet, now is a reasonable time to start.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, Martyn’s Law, received Royal Assent in April 2025. Its substantive duties for premises and events aren’t in force yet; the SIA expects commencement in spring 2027, with the precise date still to be confirmed.

But the implementation period is running, statutory guidance has been published, and the requirements are clear enough that event professionals can begin assessing whether they apply.

This guide takes an event management company perspective: bringing event security planning into the brief while venue and production decisions are still open. It explains Martyn’s Law for event planners working in UK event management.

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What Is Martyn’s Law?

Martyn’s Law is the common name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, UK legislation designed to improve protective security and preparedness at certain publicly accessible premises and events.

The legislation is named in memory of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack on 22 May 2017. Martyn’s mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for years to make protective security a legal requirement for public venues and events.

That campaign led directly to this Act.

The legislation requires those responsible for qualifying premises and events to consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack. At larger premises and events, it also requires appropriate steps to reduce vulnerability to attack in the first place.

Procedures and measures must be appropriate and put in place so far as reasonably practicable for the particular premises or event.

The Home Office factsheet explains the Act’s protective purpose. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will support, advise and enforce as the regulator.

It is not a requirement to spend money on external consultants to comply. The Home Office has been explicit about that.

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When Does Martyn’s Law Come into Force?

The substantive duties for premises and events under Martyn’s Law are not yet in force. Section 27 has already commenced to enable publication of the statutory guidance.

The Government allowed at least 24 months from Royal Assent on 3 April 2025 to establish the regulator and prepare those responsible. The SIA expects commencement in spring 2027, subject to the parliamentary process and confirmation of the precise date.

Statutory guidance was published by the Home Office on 15 April 2026, and updated in August 2026. That guidance is the primary reference for anyone assessing whether their premises or events fall within scope.

Existing safety obligations still apply. For anyone managing or producing events, this preparation period is the time to establish scope and responsibility.

Review this article alongside the latest official guidance as commencement approaches. Further SIA guidance is still developing.

Start by checking whether your premises or event may be in scope, identifying the responsible person and reading the statutory guidance. Review the procedures already in place before deciding whether you need additional security equipment or outside support.

Does Martyn’s Law Apply to Events with More than 200 People?

Not automatically.

The 200-person threshold applies to qualifying premises. Qualifying events have separate criteria, so attendance alone does not settle whether an event is covered.

What Does the Standard Tier Require?

Qualifying premises where it is reasonable to expect between 200 and 799 individuals, including staff, to be present at the same time generally fall within the standard tier. The requirements here are centred around simple, low-cost activities: notifying the SIA and having appropriate public protection procedures in place, so far as reasonably practicable, addressing evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication.

What Does the Enhanced Tier Require?

Qualifying premises expecting 800 or more people at the same time generally fall within the enhanced tier, with the additional duties summarised below. Specified childcare, primary, secondary and further education premises, and places of worship, remain standard tier even above 800.

The SIA explains these exceptions and the requirement for appropriate, reasonably practicable measures.

At a glance: duties once the substantive requirements commence

Scope	Core duties
Standard-tier premises	Notify the SIA; put appropriate public protection procedures in place so far as reasonably practicable
Enhanced-tier premises and qualifying events	The same notification and procedure duties, plus appropriate protective measures so far as reasonably practicable; document procedures, measures and their rationale for the SIA; organisations designate a senior individual

Reasonably practicable means weighing suitable protection against the cost, time and difficulty of putting it in place. It requires an assessment of the particular setting.

What Makes an Event Qualify?

A qualifying event has its own separate criteria, and all six conditions in the official event scope guidance must be met:

Martyn’s Law Events: Six Qualifying Conditions

Condition	What to check
Location	The event takes place in a building, on land or both
Existing status	The premises are not already enhanced tier
Public access	Members of the public can attend
Attendance	800 or more people, including staff, are reasonably expected at the same time
Entry checks	Payment, ticket/pass, or membership/guest status of a club, association or similar body is checked at entry
Exclusions	The event is not excluded under Schedule 2

Source: Home Office scope guidance.

Events at enhanced-tier premises fall under those premises’ requirements. Standard-tier premises can still host a qualifying event.

The Home Office statutory guidance is the authoritative reference for making this assessment. Individual circumstances vary, and we’d recommend reading it directly rather than relying on any summary, including this one.

Entry conditions must involve checks at a meaningful controlled boundary, such as checking tickets or passes. A private employee-only event that isn’t open to the public is not a qualifying event in its own right. The venue hosting it may still have duties as qualifying premises.

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Which Events Could Be Affected by Martyn’s Law?

It depends on the venue, the expected attendance, the access arrangements and whether the event meets the qualifying criteria.

Events that might warrant careful assessment include:

• conferences and exhibitions
• gala dinners and awards ceremonies
• corporate events and brand experiences
• festivals and concerts
• sporting events
• large product launches
• public events organised by BIDs or local authorities
• brand activations at publicly accessible venues

None of these automatically fall within scope. What matters is whether the premises and event meet the specific criteria set out in the legislation.

Public event safety planning still needs to address the circumstances of the event, whether or not these new duties apply.

For events involving hybrid or live formats, assess physical attendance alongside the other scope conditions; virtual attendees don’t count toward expected numbers on-site.

Assessing expected attendance under Martyn’s Law uses methods familiar from other regulatory contexts, including historic attendance data and capacity planning. A venue’s maximum capacity is not automatically the number reasonably expected to attend.

The difference is that those assessments now feed into a wider security conversation as well.

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Martyn’s Law Event Management: Who Is Responsible?

Responsibility rests with whoever controls the premises for the relevant use, or controls them for a qualifying event. Establish that person early to prevent gaps between the client’s expectations and the venue’s arrangements.

For a qualifying event, the responsible person controls the premises in connection with their use for that event. In the Government’s example, a company taking control of part of a park for its qualifying concert is the responsible person.

For qualifying premises, responsibility rests with whoever controls them for their qualifying use. The SIA responsibility guidance distinguishes these situations.

First, the responsible person for an event can be different from whoever controls the premises the rest of the time. A venue’s usual management arrangements don’t automatically carry over.

The responsible person can delegate tasks to a contracted provider, but cannot delegate their legal responsibility.

Agree how conference risk management and other responsibilities fit across the client, venue, security provider, production team and suppliers.

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What Does Martyn’s Law Mean for Event Planners?

Evacuation procedures, staff briefings, contingency planning and supplier coordination already belong in good event management practice.

Martyn’s Law adds specific duties for premises and events in scope, including notification and, where applicable, protective measures and documentation. For planners, it makes early coordination with the responsible person particularly important.

Once the duties come into force, premises and events in scope will need appropriate procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. These are legal requirements under the Act and must be met so far as reasonably practicable.

The ten points below are practical planning recommendations informed by the Act. Refer to the statutory guidance for the legal requirements that apply to your circumstances.

1. When Should Security Planning Start?

Bring security into venue selection, production planning and guest journey design. Once the venue and production schedule are agreed, opportunities to change access, layout and procedures can be limited.

It’s the same logic that applies to event production and design more broadly. Decisions made early leave more room to resolve access, layout and production requirements together.

2. What Does Your Venue Already Have?

What venue security procedures are already in place? Who holds responsibility for them?

What measures exist around monitoring, access control and emergency communication?

Ask these questions during the venue briefing and check the answers during site visits, while there is time to resolve gaps.

3. How Many People Are Expected?

Accurate attendance assessment, including staff, contractors and suppliers on-site, matters for determining scope under the legislation. It also matters for event flow, capacity management and emergency planning.

Keep the attendance estimate current as staffing and supplier plans change. The difference now is what those numbers feed into.

4. How Will Entry and Exit Work?

Review arrivals, queues, access control, accreditation and emergency exits together. These decisions affect both security and the guest experience from the moment someone joins a queue.

5. How Will People Communicate?

How do staff communicate if something happens on the day? How does information reach guests quickly and clearly?

Who makes decisions under pressure and how does that flow through the team?

These questions already belong in event planning. Communication is also one of the public protection procedures the responsible person must consider under the Act.

6. What Do the Emergency Procedures Mean?

The legislation uses three terms worth understanding. Evacuation means moving people out of danger; invacuation means moving them to a safer place within the premises or event.

Lockdown means securing the premises or event to prevent people entering or leaving. The SIA procedure definitions also include communication with the people present.

The responsible person must consider what is appropriate and reasonably practicable for each procedure. Relevant staff need to understand their roles in the arrangements put in place.

7. Who Needs a Briefing?

Procedures only work if the people responsible for carrying them out understand what they’re expected to do. That includes event staff, venue staff, security personnel and relevant suppliers.

A briefing pack that nobody has read will be little help during an incident.

8. How Will Suppliers Coordinate?

Security planning touches more of the event than the security team. Changes to access arrangements, timings or layouts affect production, entertainment, catering, registration and AV teams.

The earlier suppliers understand the security framework, the smoother that coordination tends to be. That’s covered in more detail in live event production.

9. Where Does Security Fit into Contingency Planning?

Contingency planning should already account for scenarios such as weather, technical failures, no-shows and medical incidents. Security scenarios belong in the same framework.

Event contingency planning forms part of event risk management: agree who will make decisions and how revised instructions will reach the team.

Not because they’re more likely, but because having thought through them in advance is what makes a team capable of responding well if they happen.

10. When Should Plans Be Reviewed?

Attendance increases, venue layout changes and format shifts from in-person to hybrid can all affect security considerations. Plans made at the briefing stage need revisiting when the event changes shape.

Keep a record of changes so the people delivering the event have the current version of its event safety planning documents.

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How Could Martyn’s Law Affect Event Design and Production?

Event design and production decisions can affect security well beyond the security team’s work.

Event production decisions about entrances, staging, barriers, temporary structures, registration and vehicle routes influence how people move and how the space can be managed during an incident.

Some specific areas worth considering:

Layouts and flow. How guests move through the event from arrival to exit affects both experience and security.

Pinch points that slow queues also slow emergency egress. Review sightlines for monitoring separately from entertainment viewing, because the two may need different positions and coverage.

Entrances and access control. Where are the entry points?

How is accreditation managed? What happens at the point where public access meets back-of-house?

These decisions sit at the intersection of production planning and security planning.

Temporary structures and staging. Temporary builds, stage risers, barriers and scenic installations all affect how people move and where they can go.

They need to be considered alongside emergency procedures, not separately from them.

Supplier and vehicle movements. Load-in, load-out, catering deliveries, production access.

These are routine production management considerations that also have security relevance, particularly at venues with public access during setup.

Integrate security into the design review. Entrances, sightlines and the separation of public and production areas need to work with the venue’s procedures and accessibility requirements.

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Could Martyn’s Law Actually Improve the Guest Experience?

Martyn’s Law exists to protect people. Its origins should remain central when discussing any wider operational benefits.

Better security planning can also produce better-run events through clearer responsibilities and stronger coordination.

Better-organised arrivals. Clearer staff roles on the day.

More considered guest flows. Stronger venue and supplier communication.

Better-prepared contingency plans. These operational improvements don’t exist in isolation from security; they depend on much of the same planning work.

An event team reviewing evacuation procedures should also check exit design and whether queues could obstruct routes. A briefing process that covers emergency communication can also clarify who handles routine guest questions and operational updates.

The balance worth maintaining is that visible security should create reassurance without making an event feel hostile. Decisions about personnel, barriers and announcements need to suit the particular venue or event, rather than follow a universal prescription.

The SIA describes a risk-based regulatory approach, while the statutory guidance requires proportionate procedures and measures that are appropriate and reasonably practicable.

Ask how each arrangement improves protection and works for guests, including people with access needs. Appropriate security can be visible or discreet.

Good event management brings those practical decisions together. At attractions, this coordination can also support year-round visitor engagement.

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How Can Event Planners Use Martyn’s Law Preparation to Their Advantage?

Use the preparation period to review how your events are planned.

Use the time available to understand Martyn’s Law requirements and review corporate event security arrangements. Keep preparation and public protection at the centre of discussions with clients:

• audit existing planning procedures against the standard and enhanced tier requirements
• improve venue questionnaires to capture security-relevant information earlier
• strengthen contingency plans to formally include security scenarios
• improve supplier briefings so security expectations are clear from the outset
• clarify responsibility earlier in the planning process, before contracts are signed
• incorporate security review into site visits as standard practice
• improve event-day communication procedures and test them
• train relevant teams on evacuation, invacuation and lockdown procedures
• demonstrate clear event safety and security responsibilities to corporate clients when discussing how their event will be managed

The Act does not prescribe a specific counter-terrorism training course. However, those responsible for carrying out the procedures must understand their role and have the understanding, experience and tools needed to carry them out effectively.

Prepare to explain which security decisions sit with the venue and where specialist advice is needed. This helps clients understand the event team’s role without suggesting it certifies compliance.

Share changes with the venue, client and delivery team so their plans remain aligned.

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Does Martyn’s Law Apply to Events Outside the UK?

No. Martyn’s Law is UK legislation, and it applies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

An event organised by a UK-based event company but held overseas is not brought into scope of Martyn’s Law simply because of where the organiser is based. International events are subject to whatever national and local security frameworks apply in the destination country.

Check the rules where the event takes place and work with local venues and security professionals. Early coordination, clear responsibilities and tested procedures remain useful across borders.

Our international event planning guide covers local suppliers and logistics.

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Martyn’s Law Event Planning Checklist

This checklist supports event planning only and does not determine legal compliance or replace the Home Office statutory guidance.

• Is the premises or event potentially within scope?
• Who is the responsible person?
• What attendance is reasonably expected, including staff?
• What security procedures or measures already exist at the venue?
• Have security requirements been discussed directly with the venue?
• Have entry, exit and guest flow been considered from a security perspective?
• Are evacuation, invacuation and lockdown procedures understood by relevant staff?
• Is there a clear communication plan for an incident?
• Do event staff know their roles if something happens?
• Have suppliers been briefed on security-relevant procedures where necessary?
• Has security been incorporated into the event’s contingency plan?
• Is this assessment based on current guidance?

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Preparing Your Events for Martyn’s Law

Preparing for Martyn’s Law starts with scope, responsibility and teams who understand their roles.

Discuss these questions with venues and clients early, then carry the decisions through production planning, supplier briefings and event-day communications.

At Julia Charles Event Management, our conference organisers coordinate venue liaison, logistics, delegate management and creative production. Our gala dinner services also combine planning and production.

Our role here is event coordination, working alongside your venue and other providers. Formal compliance assessments and legal or specialist security advice should come from appropriately qualified advisers.

If you’re planning an event and want to discuss how security considerations fit into the wider brief, get in touch.

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Last reviewed: 24 September 2026. This article reflects the official guidance available on that date and does not constitute legal advice. Organisations should consult the latest Home Office and SIA guidance for their specific circumstances.

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