Public Entertainment; Notification and Application for a Permit

If you wish to organize a public entertainment event, you must notify the municipality in writing at least one week in advance, specifying the type, location, and time of the event, as well as the number of participants to be admitted. For regularly recurring public entertainment events of the same nature, a single notification is sufficient. The notification requirement does not apply to events that primarily serve religious, artistic, cultural, scientific, instructional, or educational purposes, or that are for commercial advertising, provided that the events take place in venues designated for events of the intended nature.

An entertainment event is an event that is intended and suitable for entertaining, amusing, distracting, or relaxing visitors. Assemblies within the meaning of the right of assembly are not covered by this provision. An entertainment event is considered public if admission is not restricted to specific individuals or specially invited guests.

A public entertainment event requires a permit if the required notification is not submitted by the deadline, if the event involves motorsports, or if more than 1,000 visitors are to be admitted at the same time to an event scheduled to take place outside of facilities designated for that purpose. The municipalities are responsible for granting permits; for motorsports events, this responsibility lies with the independent municipalities, district offices, and major district cities. Permission must be denied if it appears necessary to prevent danger to life, health, or property, or to protect against significant disadvantages or significant nuisances to the general public or the neighborhood, or against significant damage to nature or the landscape. The same applies if other provisions of public law conflict with this.

To protect these legal interests, municipalities—and, for motorsports events (see “Related Topics” below), independent municipalities, district offices, and major district towns—may issue orders on a case-by-case basis regarding the organization of public and other entertainment events. If these measures are insufficient or if other public law provisions preclude them, the event may also be prohibited.

Municipal ordinances—the existence of which you can verify with the relevant municipality—may result in modifications to the aforementioned notification and permit requirements as well as other requirements.

Special regulations may take precedence for certain events; you can also obtain information about these from the municipalities. Examples include folk festivals, lotteries, casinos, aviation events, the setting off of pyrotechnic devices, and—particularly significant in practice—cycling or motorsports events, as well as, where applicable, parades that take place exclusively or partially on public roads. For the latter events held on public roads, a traffic permit or exemption from the competent road traffic authority is required either exclusively or in addition to the other permits.

Contact:

+(49) 09131 / 86 - 1682

+(49) 09131 / 86 - 2636

The application for a permit or the notification of an event not requiring a permit must be submitted as early as possible.

• Notice Regarding Public Entertainment
  The notification regarding public entertainment events must include, in addition to the name of the organizer, details regarding the type, location, and time of the event, as well as the number of participants to be admitted.

Information Sheet "Fees for Events": Link to the document (erlangen.de)

If you are unable to open the link, you can also find the information sheet a little further down under “Related Links.”