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EVENTS SOLICITORS

Legal support for the people who put on the show

We act for event organisers, agencies, venues and suppliers across the UK, keeping your contracts, your licences and your safety documentation in order before the doors open. A fixed monthly fee, with no hourly billing.

SRA-regulated solicitors icon SRA-regulated solicitors Events sector expertise icon Events sector expertise Fast, responsive support icon Fast, responsive support
THE EVENTS LEGAL LANDSCAPE

Fixed date, many parties, no second chance. The contracts have to be right first time.

An event brings a venue, a client, sponsors, suppliers, performers, crew and the public together on a single immovable date. Most of the matters we see begin with a supplier booked by email with no cancellation terms, a venue hire agreement that puts every risk on the hirer, or a licence condition discovered the week before the show.

Events are unusual in that the whole contract structure is tested on one day. A cancellation clause, a force majeure provision or a licence condition that has never been read will be read then, under pressure, and the wording will decide who bears the loss.

James Conning

Commercial Solicitor, Lawyerly

Portrait photo
Cancellation and force majeure Who bears the cost when a headline act withdraws, the weather closes the site or the client postpones. We draft the cancellation and force majeure provisions in every direction: with the client, the venue and each supplier.
Venue hire terms Venue agreements are drafted by venues and place the risk on the hirer: damage, licensing breaches, capacity and noise. We negotiate the terms so that the risk sits with the party who controls it.
Licensing and Martyn's Law Temporary event notices and premises licences under the Licensing Act 2003, and the new duties on public venues under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. We tell you which apply to your event and what must be in place.
Safety, crowds and temporary structures Event safety management plans, the safety advisory group, health and safety duties towards crew and the public, and CDM obligations for stages and structures. We help you document a plan an insurer and a local authority will accept.
Tickets, attendees and data Ticket terms are consumer contracts, and attendee data, badge scanning and marketing consent are governed by the UK GDPR and PECR. We put the terms and the data framework in place before sales open.
Sponsors, talent and rights Sponsorship exclusivity, performer and speaker agreements, filming and image rights, music licences and the ownership of content produced at the event. We make sure every right you sell is one you hold.
OUR LEGAL EXPERTISE

We understand the business behind the event

A conference organiser, a festival promoter and a venue face different legal questions. We act across the events sector and shape our advice to the way you win the brief, deliver the day and are paid for it.

  • Corporate events and conferences

    Conferences, exhibitions, product launches, awards, networking events and corporate hospitality.

  • Festivals and live entertainment

    Music festivals, concerts, touring productions, cultural festivals and outdoor events open to the public.

  • Event agencies and production

    Event management agencies, experiential agencies, production companies and creative teams delivering for clients.

  • Venues and event spaces

    Conference centres, hotels, unique venues, arenas and outdoor sites hiring space to organisers.

  • Event suppliers and contractors

    Staging, AV, catering, security, staffing agencies, ticketing platforms and the specialists every event depends on.

LEGAL SERVICES FOR EVENTS BUSINESSES

Take care of the legal side of the show

From day-to-day contract work to the questions particular to events, our solicitors work alongside you so that every agreement is in place, every licence is understood and every risk sits where it belongs.

  • Client and supplier contracts

    Event management agreements, terms of business, supplier and contractor agreements, production schedules, payment milestones and cancellation provisions.

  • Venue hire and site agreements

    Venue hire terms, site licences for outdoor events, capacity, noise and curfew conditions, damage and reinstatement provisions and insurance requirements.

  • Licensing and regulatory compliance

    Temporary event notices, premises licences, alcohol and entertainment conditions, Martyn's Law duties, local authority and safety advisory group requirements.

  • Health, safety and crowd management

    Event safety management plans, risk assessments, temporary structure and CDM obligations, contractor competence and incident procedures.

  • Ticketing and consumer law

    Ticket terms and conditions, refunds and cancellations, resale restrictions, accessibility and pricing rules under consumer law.

  • Attendee data and UK GDPR compliance

    Registration and ticketing data, badge scanning and lead capture, marketing consent under PECR, photography notices and processor terms with platforms.

  • Sponsorship, talent and IP

    Sponsorship and partnership agreements, performer and speaker contracts, image and filming rights, music licences, trade marks and event content ownership.

  • Crew, staffing and disputes

    Crew and freelancer agreements, staffing agency terms, volunteer arrangements, unpaid invoices and disputes with clients and suppliers, resolved directly with the other party rather than through the courts.

The events industry runs on relationships and short notice, which is precisely why its contracts matter more than most. When a date cannot move, the only thing that can absorb a problem is the wording agreed beforehand.

Ashrelle Parker-Belgrave

Commercial Solicitor

EVENTS

Contracts that hold on the day

An event is a network of contracts converging on one date. The organiser contracts with the client, hires the venue, engages suppliers and performers, sells tickets to consumers and, in the case of a public event, assumes duties under the Licensing Act 2003, health and safety legislation and, from its commencement, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. Each agreement allocates risk for the same eventualities: postponement, cancellation, non-performance and injury. Where the allocations do not match, because the venue's terms hold the organiser liable for a loss the client contract does not permit the organiser to recover, the organiser carries the difference.

The consequences arrive on or immediately before the day, when there is no time to negotiate: a supplier withdrawing without a cancellation fee to hold them, a venue enforcing a curfew the client was never told about, a local authority querying a safety plan, or a data complaint about attendee marketing after the event. Our role is to review and align the agreements before contracts are signed, to confirm the licensing and safety requirements for the specific event, and to put the ticketing terms and data framework in place before sales open, so that the day is delivered on the terms the business intended.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

What our clients say about working with us

4.8 on Google

A fresh approach. Exceptional value.

A fresh approach to legal services. They've guided us through multiple planned and reactive cases for our business. Exceptional turnaround times and great value for money.

Kerry Power Client Relations, Pantheon Property Services
CONTACT US

Talk to us about your events business

Book a complimentary consultation with our team. We will take the time to understand how you win work, deliver the day and are paid, and explain how we can support you.

Willem van der Merwe

Co-Founder