Holding your outdoor event in Bolton
Welcome to Bolton, the perfect place for your next outdoor event
We pride ourselves in creating and supporting some of the country’s best loved events as well as grass-roots community activity – all of which put Bolton on the ‘map’ at local, national and international level, enhancing the cultural offer and adding to our appeal as a great place to live, work, visit and invest. We offer a great range of outdoor locations for event organisers, from bustling town centres and award-winning parks and green spaces.
If you or your organisation is looking to hold an outdoor event in Bolton, we’d love to hear from you. An outline of responsibilities and the process is below
In general terms, event organisers have a duty to, plan and exercise overall control of the event to ensure that all reasonable precautions are taken to maintain the safety and security of people involved with or affected by the event throughout its duration (including preparation and clearance). Obtain all necessary licenses, authorisation and permission prior to the event. Assess the suitability of the venue. Plan the event layout to minimise risk and vulnerability and prepare a site plan. Establish emergency routes/rendezvous points as appropriate. Consult as necessary with key stakeholders, such as landowners, the Council, emergency services, public transport, neighbouring businesses, and residents. Demonstrate they have adequate resources, including funding, to plan and deliver the event.
Before going any further we advise that you read through all of the information given on this webpage and visit all the suggested links to relvant legislation and good practise guidelines. Once you have considered everything that is involved please register your interest as below.
Register an interest
- Read all information and guidance given on this webpage.
- Review the event organisation checklist
- Register your interest via the button below. We aim to reply within 10 working days.
Register your interest in holding an event
Large scale events
For events classed as medium to major (attracting 500 people or more) the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) will provide contact details of local agencies (such as the police, ambulance service, highways etc) with whom you should consult at a joint agency meeting (JAM). This list will not be exhaustive but will include the agencies generally liaised with for larger events. You should hold at least one JAM where representatives of these agencies are in attendance.
The following are our minimum recommended timescales that should be followed for large scale events.
| Timescale* | Action |
|---|---|
| 6 months to event | Register an interest to be submitted |
| 6 to 3 months to event |
Joint agency meeting – hold initial meeting Begin producing event documentation such as Event Management Plan and Risk Assessments License applications** – Please see licensing section below Road closures** – if you are applying for permission to close a public highway, you must apply a minimum of 12 weeks before your event Event management plan – draft copy to be submitted to SAG |
| 4 to 6 weeks prior to event | Safety advisory group – event organiser to attend SAG and present their event |
*These timescales are indicative only, **Costs apply
Small scale events
These events will still need to adhere to some of the same timescales as larger events and as such, event organisers must consider this in their planning and we require at least 3 months notice for small scale events. For small scale events (attracting up to 499 people) we will advise if the event organiser will be required to attend a safety advisory group (SAG) meeting to share more information about the event.
Event Licensing
In England and Wales, the sale and supply of alcohol is regulated by the Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act). The 2003 Act also contains measures relating to the provision of entertainment (including live and recorded music) and late night refreshment. These are known as “licensable activities”.
For any event that proposes to provide licensable activities it is essential that an appropriate authorisation under the 2003 Act is in place in good time before the event commences. This often requires timely consultation with the authorities and other interested parties, including resident representatives.
There are two types of license which relate to outdoor events. These are a Temporary Event Notice (known as a TEN) and a Premises License. Some outdoor events do not require a license. Knowing how many people may be in attendance at your outdoor event at any one time is critical to ensuring that you have the correct license in place. Further information is avaiable here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explanatory-memorandum-revised-guidance-issued-under-s-182-of-licensing-act-2003/revised-guidance-issued-under-section-182-of-the-licensing-act-2003-december-2023-accessible-version#licence-fees Please be aware of the non-negotiable timescales for each type of license and the costs.
To apply for a TEN or a Premises License please visit this page https://www.bolton.gov.uk/alcohol-gambling/alcohol-entertainment-late-night-refreshments Please do not apply for any license before submitting your expression of interest and that you have been given permission to hold the event.
Event Insurance
Insurance is an important part of every event, both in terms of protecting the event organiser and all those working or visiting the site/venue. It is, therefore, important to put insurance high up the organiser’s priority list. Event organisers have a duty of care to make sure that all those they ‘employ’, either directly (including volunteers) or indirectly through contractors, are suitably and adequately insured. In some cases, this may be covered by policies held by suppliers, in others it may be the responsibility of the organiser to take out the cover for those working for them directly, including volunteers.
Public Liability Insurance: While not a legal requirement, this provides third-party cover for property and accidental bodily injury, including protection for members of public/attendees at the event should they get injured and the event organiser is found to be negligent. Bolton Council requires event organisers to have a minimum of £10million public liabliity insurance cover regardless of a large or small scale event. Bolton Council will not grant permission to stage an event on its land without seeing a copy of this cover.
Event infrastructure - equipment for the Bolton Community to use
Bolton Council wants to support creative, community-led and delivered events. We are therefore making available a number of items which can be used when hosting an event or activity. These include items for both outdoor and indoor events. These items can be viewed on our event infrastructure list and are provided free of charge. The process for booking these items, and what we have available can be found in the booking form link below.
Please read the following notes which cover certain the stipulations around usage and availability, plus information on collecting and returning the equipment. There must be a minimum of 3 weeks between booking the items and the event. Before proceeding with your booking, please also review the terms and conditions.
- Once you submit the booking form we will check to see if the equipment you have requested is available and we will contact you within ten business days;
- Please be aware that no items are available from Monday 11th August 2025 to Monday 1st September 2025 and we also already have a number of confirmed bookings for equipment throughout the Spring and Summer of 2025 and availability is very limited at times.
- Gazebos and Parasols are not permitted to be used in Winter;
- Remember, you will need public liability and possibly employer’s liability insurance cover for your event;
- When you have submitted your booking form, you will receive an email notification;
- Please click here for the booking form
Collection and Return
- All items are available from the old Beales site on Howell Croft North in Bolton town centre (opposite The Albert Halls and Sports Direct). There is a loading bay directly outside on Old Hall Street North where you can park whilst loading;
- Collection can be arranged from 9am – 4pm, Monday to Friday;
- Returns are also only possible between 9am – 4pm, Monday to Friday. If your event is being held during the evening or over a weekend, you will need to consider how you can securely store the items until you can return them to us;
- You will need to arrange for transport of the items.
Information on assembling the event equipment can be found here.
This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
