AAA White Paper The political economy of informal events, 2030

Types of outdoor events: examples of music festivals Latitude, Suffolk Reading We Are FSTVL, Upminster, London ELECTRONIC Organisers applied for a permanent licence; Havering Council granted them one lasting for three years South West Four, Clapham, London DANCE Smaller kind of event INDIE AND ALTERNATIVE No trouble getting licences easily DANCE Long-established, with no reported licensing issues Download, Donington Park motorsport circuit, Derby HEAVY METAL Heavy crowds, but no licensing problems Southport Weekender, Finsbury Park, London URBAN MUSIC Once a great Northern icon, it has had to move around the country to get a licence Glastonbury ROCK AND POP Big event, big organiser, no licence problems Rewind, Perth, Scotland ROCK Re-established in 2011 after organisers overcame what they termed ‘significant red tape’ Chart 6 BST – British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London Field Day, Meridian Water, London ROCK Bestival, Lulworth Estate Directional speakers and noise reduction fencing, plus reported disruption – but no problems getting a licence Complications with licence renewal VARIOUS DANCE AND URBAN When held at Brockwell Park, local residents criticised it for the disruption caused, while attendees complained that the site was overcrowded. It has now moved to a new warehouse site 2. STILL OTHER KINDS OF EVENTS There are other kinds of events to consider, too. These can be subject to some restrictions, but are not covered by the Revised Guidance: 21. Fashion shows 22. Food and drink events 23. Art, design and architecture events 24. Debates, literary festivals 25. Live, on-site computer games contests 26. Cookery demonstrations 27. Flower shows 28. Street markets and farmers’ markets 29. Parades, demonstrations and protests. Right away, we can expect some of these informal events – not the cookery or horticulture shows, but perhaps the debates, and certainly parades, demonstrations and protests – to come more under the regulator’s gaze. After all, there has already been a strong trend toward exhibitions, as well as museums and theatre plays, becoming the subject of censorious protests. Given the likely impress of regulation over the years to 2030, the key distinction to be drawn about events is not between those that legally require licences and those that don’t. The key divide is between those which can obtain licences easily, and those which cannot. Indeed, one way that divide pans out today is the trend for clubs to try to obtain day licences for outside areas, car parks and the like, because late-night licences have become so hard to get. 38

AAA White Paper The political economy of informal events, 2030 | Page 38