Live Music Act comes into force
The Live Music Act came into force on 1 October 2012 with the effect that venues in England and Wales with a capacity of less than 200 people no longer need a licence for live music.
The Act seeks to remove some of the restrictions on live music put in place by the Licensing Act 2003 and thereby make it easier to put on pub gigs and small live performances. Business Minister Michael Fallon described the previous laws as being “over-the-top bureaucracy that stifles community groups and pubs”.
The Act removes the local authority licensing requirements for:
- amplified live music between 8am and 11pm before audiences of no more than 200 people on premises authorised to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises;
- amplified live music between 8am and 11pm before audiences of no more than 200 people in workplaces not otherwise licensed under the Licensing Act 2003 (or licensed only for the provision of late night refreshment); and
- unamplified live music between 8am and 11pm in all venues. There is no audience limit for performances of unamplified live music.
UK Music estimates that the Act could enable an extra 13,000 venues across England and Wales to start hosting their own live music nights. Jo Dipple, chief executive of UK Music stated that “reversing overzealous licensing regulations will create new opportunities for British artists”.
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