Planning an Event

Thank you for considering Dundee for your event.

We are keen to hear from you and learn more about what you have planned. Please complete what you can from our events planning form so we can get to know you. This form should be emailed to the Events Team, who will happily get back to you to discuss; cityevents@dundeecity.gov.uk. You can also call the Events Team directly on 01382 433514.

We say yes to everything we can. We are here to support you through our event and licensing processes and can be called on for event planning advice.

Following your initial events planning form, you will be expected to submit the appropriate risk assessments, insurance documents and if necessary, a full event plan. Depending on the scale and activities at your event, you may have further engagement with the Events Team, including site visits, multi-agency or Safety Advisory Group meetings.

We look forward to working with you to deliver a safe and enjoyable event for the people of Dundee and Tayside.

How to book Dundee City Council's spaces

Parks

Dundee City and region has many wonderful spaces and places to hold your event. We welcome bookings for our parks or open spaces through our Neighbourhood Services Team. You can enquire into available spaces by emailing events.activities@dundeecity.gov.uk. This team also have a range of physical resources available to hire which may help your event including a stage, star tent, tables and chairs.

City Centre

For City Centre locations such as City Square, Murraygate or Boots Corner, please contact licensing.board@dundeecity.gov.uk or download from the Civic Licensing area of this website.

Our charges for City Centre Land use for commercial purposes are as follows:

City Square - exclusive use £1,000 per day
Front of City Square ('D' area) - £200 per day for small infrastructure - gazebo, table, small van or similar
Front of City Square ('D' area) - £400 per day for large infrastructure - big display units/trucks, multiple vehicles and/or additional needs such as power

Please note a license administration fee may apply.

Slessor Gardens

Looking to have your event take place in Slessor Gardens? Please read the Terms and Conditions for more information. If you would like to discuss your plans further, please contact City Centre Management on cityevents@dundeecity.gov.uk

Other venues

Leisure and Culture Dundee run many venues within the city. You can find contact details on their website.

Timeline for events

Applications for events should be submitted as soon as you can, no less than 3 months in advance of any event to allow for processing and to obtain permission to occupy public space. For larger events of 5,000+ people, we recommend no less than 6 months.

Download the Timeline for Events Guidance.

If you are entertaining the public at your event you will require a Public Entertainment License (PEL). Please download the PEL application deadlines, which shows how far in advance of your event you should submit your PEL paperwork. If you are unsure whether or not you need a PEL you can check this list of applicable events or phone or email our licensing department on 01382 434499, 01382 434805, 01382 434433 or 01382 434283 / licensing.board@dundeecity.gov.uk.

Paperwork to submit

You will need to submit paperwork or further information depending on what activities you choose to have at your event. Please download the list of event paperwork requirements.

For any public event, at any scale, insurance is compulsory – you must have appropriate Public Liability insurance (minimum £5,000,000 cover).

Risk Assessments are required to demonstrate that you have thought through all aspects of your activity to identify hazards, in order to identify and control risks and ensure the safety of all people working at or attending your event. Dundee City Council has a Risk Assessment template you may wish to use.

You will find event safety guidance within the Purple Guide.

Safety Advisory Group

The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) for Dundee City Council (DCC) is coordinated by DCC’s Event Team, City Development and is made up of representatives from DCC, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS Tayside and Police Scotland. The group meets monthly to review event proposals and advise on public safety, including the safety of participants.

SAGs provide a forum for feedback and advice on public safety at an event. They aim to help organisers with the planning and management of an event and to encourage cooperation and coordination between all relevant agencies. They are non-statutory bodies and so do not have legal powers or responsibilities, and are not empowered to approve or prohibit events from taking place. Event organisers and others involved in the running of an event, retain the principal legal duties for ensuring public safety.

The types of events that may benefit from the SAG process include outdoor festivals, large scale community events and sports events such as cycling or marathons.

The guiding principle for determining which events will be invited to attend the SAG process is where there is thought to be a significant public safety risk. The criteria for identifying which events will be invited to attend the SAG process are stated within the SAG Policy. Events are scored by using the Event Risk Matrix and all events scoring within the ‘high risk’ category will be asked to engage with the SAG process.

Please consult the Dundee Safety Advisory Group Policy for more information.

About Us

The Events Team work towards making Dundee a vibrant and exciting place to live, work and study by supporting a range of events across the City.

The Events Team are responsible for delivering Dundee City Council events including Fireworks displays, Summer Street Festival and Christmas Light Night. We also work closely with external event organisers to support and advise them to deliver events such as the Slessor Garden’s Concerts, Race for Life, Dundee Pride and community gala days.

Our focus as a city for events and festivals are those events which:

have economic benefits to the city by attracting visitors, increasing overnight stays or having employment benefits
promote the city, enhance Dundee’s visibility and raise our profile as a vibrant, contemporary international city
are distinctive to Dundee by using the landscape, history, heritage or people of Dundee to make them unique
are available to, and involve, members of the public in Dundee, or which inspire and involve local communities

Promote your event

Leisure & Culture Dundee run an events listings page. You can add your event to the ‘What’s On’ listings via the online form.

Planning an Event

Related Links

Dundee City Council