Martyn's Law for Events and Festivals

Festivals, concerts, fairs and other organised events where 800 or more people may be present fall into the enhanced tier of Martyn's Law. They are treated as qualifying events and carry the same enhanced obligations as high-capacity premises.

The law comes from the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. It is expected to come into force in Spring 2027, after an implementation period of at least 24 months.

Qualifying events sit in the same tier as enhanced duty premises, so the headline penalty for non-compliance is up to £18 million or 5% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater. There is no legal duty to comply until commencement.

This guide explains how an event is assessed as a qualifying event, the procedures and measures you will need, the compliance document you must prepare for the regulator, and the penalties for getting it wrong.

The duty is set out in the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, and the detail of what is expected is explained in the government's section 27 statutory guidance, published on 15 April 2026.

Who Regulates Events Under Martyn's Law

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the regulator for Martyn's Law. It will oversee compliance, issue guidance and use enforcement powers where the requirements are not met.

The SIA's draft section 12 statutory guidance, which sets out its enforcement approach, is out for consultation closing at 11:59pm on Friday 12 June 2026. For background on the regulator's remit, see the government summary of the SIA's new regulatory role.

How an Event Is Assessed as a Qualifying Event

The threshold is the number of individuals who may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time. This count includes everyone who may reasonably be present, including staff, not only ticket holders or attendees.

An event qualifies for the enhanced tier when 800 or more people may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time. Capacity should be assessed against peak use, so the busiest moment of the event is the figure that matters.

This catches events that take place on land or in venues that are not otherwise in scope. A field, a car park or a town square used once a year for a festival can bring an event into the enhanced tier for the duration of that event.

If your assessment of expected attendance is close to the threshold, treat the question carefully. A capacity assessment that records how you reached your figure is the document that supports the tier you have decided on.

Where the Event Tier Sits

Martyn's Law has two tiers. Standard duty premises cover 200 to 799 people. Enhanced duty premises and qualifying events cover 800 or more. Qualifying events do not have a separate, lower threshold of their own; they enter the regime at 800 and sit alongside enhanced duty premises.

The Enhanced Measures for Qualifying Events

Because qualifying events are in the enhanced tier, organisers must meet both layers of the duty: the procedures required across the board, and the additional measures required of enhanced premises and events.

Public Protection Procedures (Section 5)

These are the procedures every premises and event in scope must put in place. They cover four areas and are expected to be simple and low cost, with no requirement to buy equipment.

• Evacuation: getting people out of the event safely.
• Invacuation: moving people to safety within the event footprint where leaving is not the safer option.
• Lockdown: securing the site or parts of it to restrict movement.
• Communication: alerting and instructing attendees and staff during an incident.

Public Protection Measures (Section 6)

On top of the procedures, qualifying events must put in place public protection measures across four categories. These are the measures that distinguish the enhanced tier.

• Monitoring the premises: watching the event site and its immediate vicinity for signs of risk.
• Movement of individuals: managing how people enter, move through and leave the event.
• Physical safety and security: the physical arrangements that reduce vulnerability.
• Security of information: protecting information that could be useful to an attacker, such as site plans and security arrangements.

Designated Senior Individual

A qualifying event must designate a senior individual who is responsible for compliance. This is the named person accountable for the procedures and measures being in place and for engaging with the SIA.

The Compliance Document for Events

Qualifying events must prepare a compliance document and provide it to the SIA. This is the central written record that demonstrates the event has met its enhanced duty.

The compliance document records the public protection procedures and measures in place. It also sets out an assessment of how those procedures and measures reduce the vulnerability of the event and the risk of physical harm to people if an attack occurs.

Standard duty premises do not need this document, which is one of the clearest practical differences between the two tiers. For a qualifying event, the compliance document is not optional.

Quick Reference: Standard Duty Premises vs Qualifying Events

Requirement	Standard duty premises (200-799)	Qualifying events (800 or more)
Public protection procedures (s.5)	Required	Required
Public protection measures (s.6)	Not required	Required
Designated senior individual	Not required	Required
Compliance document to the SIA	Not required	Required
Maximum penalty	£10,000 (up to £500 per day)	£18 million or 5% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater (up to £50,000 per day)

What Event Organisers Must Do

1. Assess your expected peak attendance, including staff, volunteers and contractors, to confirm whether the event reaches 800.
2. Record that capacity assessment so you can show how you reached your figure and which tier applies.
3. Designate a senior individual responsible for compliance.
4. Put in place public protection procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication.
5. Put in place public protection measures covering monitoring, movement of individuals, physical safety and security, and security of information.
6. Prepare a compliance document that records the procedures and measures and assesses how they reduce vulnerability and the risk of harm.
7. Provide that compliance document to the SIA.
8. Brief staff and volunteers so they know how to act if an attack occurs.

Common Errors to Avoid

• Counting only ticket holders. The 800 threshold includes everyone who may reasonably be present, including staff.
• Using average attendance instead of peak. Capacity is assessed against the busiest moment of the event.
• Assuming a one-off event on open land is out of scope. A field or square used once for a festival can bring an event into the enhanced tier.
• Treating the compliance document as paperwork. It must assess how your procedures and measures reduce vulnerability and the risk of harm, not just list them.
• Leaving preparation until close to commencement. Assessing capacity, writing procedures and measures and preparing the compliance document takes time.

Penalties and Enforcement

Qualifying events sit in the enhanced tier for enforcement. The maximum penalty for non-compliance is £18 million or 5% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater, with daily penalties of up to £50,000.

The SIA can use compliance notices, restriction notices and monetary penalties.

There is no duty to comply until the Act commences, expected in Spring 2027, but preparing early gives you time to get the documentation right rather than rushing it against the deadline.

How Policy Pros Can Help

Policy Pros writes practical, event-specific Martyn's Law documentation. Our Martyn's Law compliance documentation service produces the capacity assessment, the public protection procedures and measures, and the enhanced-tier compliance document an organiser must provide to the SIA.

To understand the duty in full, start with our Martyn's Law 2027 compliance guide. For the document at the centre of the enhanced tier, see our guide to the enhanced-tier compliance document, and if your event uses hotels or hospitality venues, read our Martyn's Law guide for hotels and hospitality.

To scope the documents your event needs, get in touch for a quote.