If Martyn’s Law feels daunting, you’re not alone – and it doesn’t need to be. Most of what it asks for is reasonable, proportionate and achievable, whatever your size. These answers explain the essentials in plain English: what the law is, what the Responsible Person role involves, and how the free National Events Database and our cost effective and practical resources can help you prepare with confidence. Still have a question? Just get in touch.
What we cover here:
Martyn’s Law – officially the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 – is UK legislation designed to improve public safety and preparedness against terrorist threats. Named in memory of Martyn Hett, one of the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, it introduces a proportionate and consistent approach to public safety and counter-terrorism planning across the UK. It places a duty on those responsible for certain venues and events to take proportionate steps to protect the public from harm.
In practice, that means considering the risk of a terrorist attack and putting in place appropriate, proportionate procedures such as staff awareness, evacuation plans and incident response measures to help keep customers, attendees and staff safe.
Martyn’s Law applies to qualifying public premises and events across the UK, defined by how many people are reasonably expected to be present at the same time:
These capacities include staff. Examples include theatres, shopping centres, music festivals, sports stadiums, and public-facing offices or places of worship.
The requirements depend on the size of your venue or event, but generally include:
The law is designed to increase awareness and resilience, helping to protect staff, visitors and the wider public.
The Responsible Person is the individual or organisation responsible for a qualifying premises or event, who must make sure the relevant Martyn’s Law duties are met. The role typically involves putting proportionate procedures in place, making sure staff know how to respond, keeping the approach under review, and acting as the main point of contact for the regulator.
In smaller (Standard Tier) settings this might be the venue manager or organiser; in larger (Enhanced Tier) settings it could be a dedicated security professional or senior operational lead. Our CPD-accredited Responsible Person Training (available here) is designed to help anyone stepping into this role do so with confidence.
Your event likely falls under Martyn’s Law if it takes place at a publicly accessible location, is reasonably expected to have 200 or more people at the same time, and is commercial, charitable or community-facing. This covers everything from music gigs and markets to religious festivals and sporting events. If you’re unsure, start by reviewing your expected audience size, location type and whether the public can access the event or venue. Our short Martyn’s Law video (included in our Martyn’s Law page) can help you work it out.
Martyn’s Law affects public venues and events where 200 or more people are reasonably expected at the same time. The most affected include:
Private events may also fall in scope if hosted at qualifying public premises.
Yes – the specific legal duty relates to terrorism. However, under other law, such as the Health and Safety at Work Act, event organisers must also manage and mitigate other risks, from crowd safety to fire and severe weather. Good preparedness tends to address all of these together.
Start with three things: confirm which tier your venue or event is in (Standard or Enhanced), watch our short Martyn’s Law video (see page), and look through the Events & Venues Toolkit (resources page). From there, our CPD-accredited Responsible Person Training (see page) walks you through the role step by step. You’re not expected to know it all on day one – these resources build your confidence as you go, and you can always get in touch with us.
Almost certainly not. For Standard Tier premises and events (200–799 people), the expectations are deliberately light-touch – mainly awareness, simple procedures and a nominated Responsible Person. The aim is reasonable, proportionate preparedness, not bureaucracy. Our Events & Venues Toolkit scales down to grassroots events, and our training is written in plain English for people doing this alongside everything else. You don’t need to be a security expert to do this well.
A simple way to approach it:
The DSC can help you approach this with practical tools and training. It’s also worth reading the official guidance on ProtectUK (protectuk.police.uk).
Event organisers need to consider both general safety and risks specific to terrorism. These include crowd density and movement; access and exit points; vehicle access and hostile vehicle mitigation; staff readiness to handle emergencies; suspicious behaviour or unattended items; and local or national threat levels. A structured risk assessment and planning tool helps you identify, mitigate and monitor these – many of which overlap with your existing safety obligations. Our Events & Venues Toolkit (see page) covers these and more.
Martyn’s Law itself doesn’t mandate a specific course. However, the Health and Safety at Work Act already requires events and venues to have trained, competent personnel, and Martyn’s Law requires a nominated Responsible Person. Training is the most reliable way to build that competence and confidence – our CPD-accredited Responsible Person Training (see page) is designed for the role.
Costs vary with venue size, risk profile and existing safety arrangements:
Toolkits, resources and training are available through the DSC to help manage costs, especially for grassroots organisations. See our Resources page.
Martyn’s Law doesn’t mandate a specific insurance policy. However, it’s sensible to review – and if necessary update – your public liability, terrorism or malicious-acts cover, business interruption, employer’s liability, and directors’ and officers’ cover. Enhanced Tier venues in particular may wish to check cover for legal liabilities linked to duty-of-care obligations. Speak to your insurer about what’s appropriate for you.
Martyn’s Law is enforced by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), whose role is primarily to advise, support and guide. Formal enforcement – compliance notices, restriction notices or monetary penalties – is reserved for serious or persistent non-compliance.
In the interests of transparency, the penalties the sector has been asked to be aware of are: up to £10,000 for Standard Tier premises, and up to £18 million (or 5% of worldwide revenue, whichever is higher) for the Enhanced Tier, with daily penalties for ongoing breaches. In practice, the emphasis is firmly on reasonable, proportionate preparedness rather than punishment. The most constructive step is simply to understand your tier and put proportionate measures in place – our Toolkit and Training are designed to make that straightforward.
The National Events Database (NED) is a free, national, self-service platform that maps events and venues across the UK. It shows what is happening, where it is happening and when it is happening, with a link to the event website, and it allows events to be claimed by the organiser if listed by someone else.
Behind the scenes, it also securely captures the “who” – a designated key contact or first point of call for each event or venue. This contact information is not publicly visible. It supports clearer ownership, coordination and resilience across the sector, aligning with the preparedness principles that underpin Martyn’s Law. The platform is open to all events and venues, regardless of size, sector or whether you qualify for Martyn’s Law or not.
Yes. Registration and use are free, and organisers can self-serve. Repeat events can be easily duplicated and edited.
The platform is designed for event organisers and venue operators; festivals and exhibitions; sporting events; conferences and corporate venues; community and free-to-access events; and public and private sector providers. If people gather at your venue or event, you can register.
The events industry has long needed better shared visibility across the ecosystem. Events affect organisers, suppliers, local authorities, licensing teams, law enforcement, emergency services, transport providers, accommodation providers and the ticket-buying public.
Until now there has been no single place where this information could be viewed clearly and consistently, which makes planning, coordination and communication harder than they need to be. The NED reduces fragmentation and builds a shared national picture of where people gather over time. Shared clarity supports better coordination and preparedness.
The NED is aimed at all events and venues. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn’s Law) introduces new preparedness requirements for certain premises and events. The NED supports the wider resilience agenda as the sector moves toward full implementation by looking at the whole picture – whether events or venues qualify or not – not just the regulated community.
No. Registering on the National Events Database does not guarantee or imply compliance with any legislation. There is currently no single product or service that delivers compliance. Preparedness must be proportionate to your specific venue or event. The NED supports visibility and coordination; it does not replace duty-holder responsibility.
The platform operates using a security-minded, open-data approach consistent with government guidance. It publishes only high-level directory information about events and venues that is already publicly available through organisers’ communications. It does not include or publish security plans, operational details, infrastructure layouts, stewarding levels, access-control arrangements or other sensitive operational information. Organisers and venues are encouraged to review official protective security guidance available through ProtectUK (protectuk.police.uk).
The public map displays the event or venue name, location, date or dates (including build, run and breakdown phases) and a clickable website link. This supports discoverability and transparency.
The system can securely record key contacts, the Responsible Person. This helps build a common operating picture while respecting security and confidentiality.
Registration is free and self-service through the website. You can register a new event, register a venue, update an existing listing, duplicate and edit listings for periodic or repeat events, and create an online or offline record to allow for planning, licensing constraints or sensitive activities. Just complete the short questionnaire and keep your records up to date. Read more on the National Events Database (see page).
The NED is self-service, so we rely on organisers to keep their event information current. We run housekeeping and, where weblinks are broken or out of date, we may remove listings. We also stay in touch with those who register to offer reminders and insights.
A common operating picture means a shared understanding of where events are taking place, when they are occurring and who is responsible. When information is fragmented, coordination becomes harder. When information is shared, resilience improves.
It helps organisers improve visibility and discoverability, identify overlapping events, support deconfliction, strengthen coordination with stakeholders, and demonstrate organisational awareness. It also provides an additional channel for public visibility.
Marketing and communications teams play an important role in preparedness and crisis response. The NED reinforces accurate public information, supports cross-functional planning, adds a discoverability channel, and encourages clarity around responsible contacts. Preparedness is both operational and reputational.
By mapping events nationally, the platform supports horizon scanning, resource planning, identification of peak pressure periods, and improved situational awareness. It also supports the wider ecosystem – retailers, accommodation providers, transport and utilities, among others – contributing to a shared understanding of activity across locations.
No. Organisers remain responsible for meeting their legal and regulatory obligations directly with the appropriate authorities. The NED is a supportive visibility tool and neutral infrastructure.
It reduces silos, supports coordination and strengthens awareness across the event ecosystem. Preparedness improves when organisers operate with a wider view of activity around them.
Yes. The platform is open to events of all sizes, including village fetes and free public gatherings.
The National Events Database is operated by the Decision Support Centre, which provides neutral infrastructure to improve shared visibility and coordination across the UK events ecosystem. It is not a regulator and does not replace statutory authorities.
Because shared clarity strengthens everyone. By registering, you contribute to a more connected, coordinated and resilient events sector. Prepared. Connected. Stronger together.
The DSC offers practical, proportionate support: the free National Events Database to build shared visibility, the Events & Venues Toolkit and Incident Response Playbook, and our CPD-accredited Responsible Person Training. These help you understand your role and prepare with confidence. They are supportive tools – they don’t confer compliance or replace your own judgement, but they make reasonable, proportionate preparedness much easier to approach.
The DSC provides CPD-accredited Responsible Person Training, delivered online. The Events & Venues Toolkit and Incident Response Playbook are included in the course materials and are also available as standalone, downloadable documents. See our Resources page for details. The Toolkits and Playbook is included in the Responsible Person Training as handouts.
Our templates prompt you through identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities and the likelihood of an incident, then help you build a tailored, proportionate plan for your venue or event. They’re part of the Events & Venues Toolkit (see page).
Our Incident Response Playbook (see page) supports clear, structured decision-making during an incident – helping teams recognise, assess, decide, act and review under pressure. The National Events Database also helps build situational awareness across the wider event landscape, supporting coordination with local partners.
We’re here to help. Get in touch with the team (contact form) and we’ll be glad to point you in the right direction.
