What Happened In Events This Week

Martyn’s Law introduced to Parliament 

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law, was introduced to Parliament on September 12th. 

It comes in the wake of the 2017 Manchester Arena attacks, where 22 people lost their lives. 

The bill will “ensure public premises and events are better prepared for terrorist attacks and ready to respond.”

Venues with a capacity from 200 to 799 will be required to “put in place appropriate and reasonably practicable public protection procedures (as set out in Clause 5 of the Bill).”

Manchester Evening News has reported that venues with this capacity will be required to train staff to lock doors, close shutters and identify a safe route to cover. Venues with a capacity of 800 or more will be required to hire security staff and put in CCTV measures. 

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Matt Jukes, said: “I welcome the opportunity that this Bill brings to drive greater consistency in the partnership that we already enjoy with businesses and communities…. we know that the contribution of the public to countering the terror threat is real—it is present in our communities every single day, and it is present in the best-performing businesses in this space.”

Find out more about Martyn’s Law below. 

AIF to unveil new support programme for multi-venue festivals

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) is set to unveil a free business support programme for multi-venue festivals. 

Supported by Arts Council England, the programme launches in October 2024 and is open to multi-venue festivals taking place in England.  Through research, the organisation has found that as of 2024, over 70 of these events take place in this country.

The programme will offer custom online training and support over the next six months, giving organisers access to a dedicated in-person programme at AIF’s Festival Congress, which takes place in February 2025. 

In addition, the AIF will create a new network with new resources to deliver multi-venue festivals for artists and audiences. 

Event organisers will receive tailored business support and industry skills development via online webinars, peer-to-peer roundtables and training in the key areas of pressure, which will be based on research conducted during the programme’s design stage. 

Topics covered will include The Protection of Premises Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law; managing multi-venue PRS licencing; identifying accommodation and travel partnership revenue opportunities; environmental and accessibility event challenges; and an introduction to funding opportunities for event promoters, artists and industry professionals. 

There will also be bespoke training to meet the requirements of multi-venue festival promoters, and each festival will be allocated a small fund for one-on-one legal, financing or licencing health checks and advice as required for their own challenges or needs.

Following online sessions and the AIF’s Festival Congress, shared resources will be available via the AIF website for any multi-venue festival to access. 

Those who wish to get involved can email info@aiforg.com to learn more information.

The Great Escape Festival withdraw Faroe Islands as lead country partner

The Great Escape Festival has announced that it will withdraw the Faroe Islands as its lead country partner for the 2025 edition of the festival. 

The news comes after concerns over whaling practices in The Faroe Islands were raised by local interest groups such as the Sussex Dolphin Projects. 

In the statement, Great Escape Festival said: “It is important to clarify that these issues are completely separate from the thriving music scene in the Faroes.

The statement goes on to say: “We believe the contributions of Faroese artists should not be overshadowed by this matter, which bears no relation to their artistic work or their significant achievements”.

While Great Escape has withdrawn from the partnership, it won’t affect their “ongoing support” for Faroese musicians”. The decision allows them to “address the concerns raised while staying focused on creating an inclusive festival environment that welcomes diverse perspectives”. 

The statement concludes with a show of support to artists from The Faroe Islands, with the festival explaining that they are “committed to showcasing its artists in upcoming editions of The Great Escape and other opportunities”. 

NTIA and UniteVerse partner on issues of venue safeguarding

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) have partnered with UniteVerse, a platform designed to address issues of diversity, accessibility, safety, mental health, neurodiversity and loneliness in the night-time economy. 

NTIA members will be able to gain access to UniteVerse’s platform, which will provide them with tools, resources and industry insights to enhance collaboration in the sector. 

Micheal Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said: “We are delighted to partner with UniteVerse, an organisation that embodies our commitment to championing and advancing the night-time economy. This partnership empowers us to offer our members exceptional resources and opportunities to connect, collaborate, and flourish in a rapidly changing landscape in real time.”

NTIA and UniteVerse will launch their partnership officially with a high-profile event later in 2024, which will bring together industry figureheads, creatives and policymakers to discuss collaboration and the future of the night-time economy. 

Discover more below. 

Wave of festivals announce dates for 2025

Creamfields, Terminal V, Doof In The Park, Back Doune The Rabbit Hole and Soul Town Festival have announced dates for 2025 this month.

Terminal V will return from Saturday 19th to Sunday the 20th of April 2025; Doof In The Park will take place at Camperdown Country Park in Dundee on Saturday 6th of July, and Back Doune The Rabbit Hole will take place on Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd of August 2025. Soul Town Festival will take place from Saturday 6th to Sunday 7th September 2025.

Elsewhere, Tidy 30 Weekender announced their lineup today, with Eddie Halliwell and Lisa Lashes set to appear to perform. Noughty 90s have announced acts for their events in Brighton and Newcastle, which will take place on Saturday 24th May 2025 and Saturday 23rd August respectively.