Public liability insurance for events

Whether you’re hosting a one-off event for a few people, or your company is regularly involved in hosting a range of events, you’ll want to make sure you’re covered if something goes wrong. The right public liability insurance for events can provide that peace of mind.

Emily Kindness

Business insurance expert

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Last Updated 4 JANUARY 2023

What is public liability insurance for events?

Public liability insurance for events protects you, your business, and the event itself, against claims from members of the public for injury, illness or accidental damage. For example, if your event causes property damage to nearby residents, or someone is injured from faulty equipment, you hold the legal liability.

Do you need public liability insurance for events?

As an event organiser, it’s your responsibility to make sure your guests have a great time while keeping out of harm’s way. But despite your best efforts, something could always go wrong. If it does, and someone is injured or dies, or property is lost or destroyed, you could be held liable.

And, if you’re not insured, you may need to pay compensation and legal fees out of your own pocket.

That’s where public liability insurance for events comes in. No matter what type of event you’re hosting, no matter the size, and no matter if it’s a one-off or regular event, it could give you the right level of cover.

Who is events insurance cover for?

Public liability insurance for events is for any business responsible for organising an event. Whether it’s a single event or you throw them regularly, you should consider an events insurance policy.

It doesn’t matter the size of your event or whether you think it’s low risk – if you have guests in your care, you could be liable if something happens to them, or their property. What’s more, venues are unlikely to allow you to put on an event unless you have a public liability insurance certificate.

What does public liability insurance for events cover?

Event public liability insurance covers your legal costs and any compensation you may have to pay, if a member of the public is injured or killed, or if someone’s property is lost or suffers accidental damage during your event.

When you choose public liability cover for events, make sure you read your policy documents very carefully. They will state what you can and can’t claim for, and also make clear the maximum sum you could be compensated.

If an incident does occur at your event, it will be up to you, the organiser, to gather evidence and complete a claim notification.

The type of events public liability insurance for events can cover include:

Festivals
Sporting events
Charity events
Live music and theatre events
Parties, carnivals and fetes
Weddings or other ceremonies
Conferences and exhibitions
Company away days and off-site meetings

and more…

What might public liability insurance for events not cover?

Before taking out public liability insurance for events, you should read the wording of your policy documents very carefully as they will describe exactly what you will, and won’t, be covered for.

There are also likely to be certain situations in which your insurance policy could be invalidated, and you won’t be able to make a claim. Exclusions could include if you:

put your guests in harm’s way through negligence or wilfully dangerous acts
tamper with event equipment, or fail to properly test it
ignore professional advice e.g. deciding to go ahead despite adverse weather and then claiming for property damage
fail to do everything in your power to provide a suitable level of safety and security for your guests

Public liability insurance for events doesn’t cover the costs of event cancellation. You’ll need separate cancellation cover for this.

How much does public liability insurance for events cost?

The cost of public liability insurance for events will depend on many factors, including the size and nature of your event, the number of people expected to attend, whether the event will be public or private, and the level of risk.

Certain types of event are considered higher risk than others. You’ll want your policy to cover any eventuality. The more that could go wrong, and the more damage it could do, the more you can expect to pay for your policy.
You may have to pay more depending on how many people are expected to attend your event, and whether they’ll be members of the public, or privately invited guests. If you let more people into the venue than originally agreed, this could invalidate your policy.
If your event is held regularly and you have a proven track record of hosting safe and secure events, you may be offered a lower price. But if you’ve made claims in the past, this may increase the amount you have to pay.

When should you get public liability insurance for an event?

It’s usually better to insure your event as soon as possible. That way, you have everything sorted before the big day. However, public liability insurance only covers you for incidents involving members of the public during the event. This means, as long as your cover is in place before the big day, you should be protected.

If you’re taking out event insurance against cancellation, then the sooner you get cover, the better. As soon as your policy is in place, your event will be protected.

If you know that you’re going to be throwing events regularly, you should consider an insurance policy that will cover you annually. This means you won’t have to worry about each individual event, knowing that you’re covered all year round. Just make sure you have the right level of cover to protect all of the different events you might be planning throughout the year.

What other types of insurance do event organisers need?

The other type of basic insurance you’ll need is employers’ liability insurance. This is a legal requirement to cover you for compensation if an employee becomes ill or is injured as a result of working for you.