Public Entertainment Resolution and Licence Conditions - 2026

Overview

Edinburgh hosts hundreds of events every year, many of which require a Public Entertainment Licence.  Each licence has conditions attached to it which licence holders must comply with to ensure that the entertainment provided is safe for the public to attend.

Public Entertainment is an optional licensing activity under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. The places which need a public entertainment licence are listed in the Public Entertainment Resolution, which was first passed by the Council in 1983 and was last updated in 2021. 

Read the current Public Entertainment Resolution

The purpose of public entertainment licensing is to prevent crime and to ensure premises are safe and suitable. Every person who applies for a licence is assessed to check that they are ‘fit and proper’ to have a licence, which means that a Police Scotland background check is carried out on them.

The range of activities being offered by venues across Edinburgh has expanded in recent years. At its meeting on 29 September 2025, the Regulatory Committee approved a consultation on activities which should become licensable under the Public Entertainment Resolution.

Committee also recognised the need to review and modernise the standard Public Entertainment licence conditions to ensure that they remain fit for purpose.

Read the report on the review of Public Entertainment Licensing

Read the current public entertainment licence conditions

Why your views matter

Your views will help to update the Council’s approach to public entertainment activities offered throughout the city. Your comments may also identify other areas where the Council needs to adapt its existing policy and conditions framework.

The Council will engage with a variety of stakeholders, and the results of this engagement will be considered by Regulatory Committee in Autumn 2026.