Do you need a licence?

Businesses, organisations and individuals who want to sell or supply alcohol must have a licence. 

The types of businesses and organisations that need alcohol licences might include:

• pubs and bars
• cinemas
• theatres
• nightclubs
• late-opening cafes
• takeaways
• village and community halls
• supermarkets

The types of licences required are defined as follows:

• any business or other organisation that sells or supplies alcohol on a permanent basis needs to apply for a premises licence
• anyone who plans to sell or supply alcohol or authorise the sale or supply of alcohol must apply for a personal licence
• qualifying members’ clubs (such as the Royal British Legion, working men’s clubs and rugby clubs) need to apply for a club premises certificate if they plan to sell or supply alcohol

For further information see the GOV.UK guidance on alcohol licensing    

You may need a licence or other authorisation from us to provide types of entertainment.

Types of businesses, organisations and events that might need a licence for entertainment:

• pubs or nightclubs
• live music venues
• cinemas
• larger theatres
• larger street and open air festivals
• larger indoor sporting arena.

In particular a licence may be required by anyone that:

• provides any entertainment between 11pm and 8am
• provides amplified live or recorded music (GOV.UK) to an audience of more than 500 people
• provides recorded music (GOV.UK) to an audience on premises not licensed for the sale or supply of alcohol
• puts on a performance of a play or a dance (GOV.UK) to an audience of more than 500 people, or an indoor sporting event (GOV.UK) to more than 1,000 spectators
• puts on boxing or wrestling (GOV.UK)
• screens a film (GOV.UK) to an audience.

For further help and guidance email: Licensing@waverley.gov.uk

Whether a licence is needed for music entertainment will depend on the circumstances.

When you don't need a licence

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, and
• it takes place at an alcohol on-licensed premises, and
• 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, or
• amplified live music at a workplace between the same hours and provided the audience is no more than 500 people.

Exemptions

There are exemptions from the need for a licence for music entertainment, in defined circumstances as set out in the Guidance (GOV.UK), 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.

Other circumstances

In other circumstances, a licence may be required. One alcohol licence application (GOV.UK) can cover all types of regulated entertainment and the sale or supply of alcohol.

The Guidance on entertainment licensing (GOV.UK) also sets out the process by which we can review a licence where problems may occur in relation to music entertainment and noise nuisance.

Whether a licence is needed for a performance of a play or a dance will depend on the circumstances. A licence is not required to stage a performance of a play or a performance of dance if:

• it takes place between 8am and 11pm, and
• 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. A licence is always required for any activity that is sexual entertainment (GOV.UK).

Whether a licence is needed for an indoor sporting event will depend on the circumstances. A licence is not required to stage an indoor sporting event if:

• it takes place between 8am and 11pm, and
• the number of spectators is not more than 1000 people.

In other circumstances, a licence may be required. One licence application (GOV.UK) can cover all types of regulated entertainment and the sale or supply of alcohol.

You will need a licence to stage boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts. One licence application (GOV.UK) can cover all types of regulated entertainment and the sale or supply of alcohol.

A licence is needed to screen a film or exhibit moving pictures.

One licence application (GOV.UK) can cover all types of regulated entertainment and the sale or supply of alcohol.

There are exemptions from the need for a licence for film entertainment, in defined circumstances as set out in the Guidance (GOV.UK), including for:

• places of public worship, village halls, church halls and other similar buildings
• education
• incidental film – moving pictures that are incidental to other activities that aren’t classed as regulated entertainment
• television broadcasts.

In other circumstances, a licence may be required to show a film:

• in public
• or in private, if those attending are charged for entry and the intention is to make a profit, including raising money for charity.

Licensing of entertainment under the Licensing Act 2003 is entirely separate from copyright authorisation to show films in public (GOV.UK).