What to consider when organising a street party

If you are organising a street party, we ask you to:

  • allow reasonable pedestrian access at all times
  • speak with your neighbours to ensure that residents agree to this closure
  • allow vehicular access for emergencies at all times - please ensure that you allow enough width on one side of the road for a vehicle to access properties
  • erect road closure signs and barriers before the event and remove them when the event finishes
  • clear the public highway (roads, footways and verges) immediately after the event finishes

We will be liaising with a Traffic Management Company to supply the necessary signage but if signage is limited, this will be on a first come first serve basis.

What sort of event does this apply to? 

This is about the sort of street party that groups of residents get together to arrange for their neighbours. The main differences between a small street party and larger public events are listed below:

Street parties:

  • For residents/neighbours only
  • Publicity only to residents 
  • No licences are normally necessary if music is incidental and no selling is involved
  • No formal risk assessment needed
  • Self-organised

Larger public events:

  • Anyone can attend
  • External publicity (such as in newspapers)
  • Licence usually needed
  • Insurance needed
  • Risk assessment common
  • Professional/skilled organisers

Organising small, private street parties is very simple and generally they do not include activities that need a licence, such as selling alcohol or providing certain types of entertainment. If you want to have a pay bar or intend to provide entertainment to the wider public, or charge to raise money for your event, you will need a Temporary Event Notice which is a type of temporary licence and costs £21. Similarly, larger public events attracting more people will require a different process. If you need a Temporary Events Notice or would like to hold a larger public event, please see GOV.UK for further information and advice.

What to do next

We have drafted a letter that you can send around to local residents to let them know all about your proposed street party. You can download a copy of the letter and print it for your own use.

The number one tip for holding a party is to plan early, think about what you want to achieve and get in touch with us as soon as possible. More helpful tips, advice and support for organising a successful event can be found on the Streets Alive website www.streetparty.org.uk.

Please see our list of FAQs and checklist for street party organisers.

Organising a street party

Please complete the street party application form.

Street parties