Licences required for organising an event

Street Trading

If your event is in the Carlisle area and includes traders selling goods, food or drink to the public, you may need street trading permission of the event is not ticketed.

For further advice about your event, contact the Licensing Team.

Telephone: 0300 373 3730

The trader may already have a permission from the Council but please check.

If you are in the Allerdale area, contact Environmental Health

Email: [email protected]

If you are in the Copeland area, get the landowners consent and register with Environmental Health.

Markets Licence

To hold your own market you will need a market licence. The council, by virtue of its statutory powers, enjoys market rights throughout the area and is in a position to consider applications for market events or markets that are part of a wider event. The council's consent must be given before the market takes place. Any event with 5 or more stalls must apply.

Markets will only be licensed once an application has been approved, signed by the council and the market operator and the appropriate fee received by the council. Any market that takes place without such a licence is in breach of the council's markets policy and may be subject to enforcement action.

To apply for a market licence, contact [email protected]

Licensable activities include

• selling alcohol
• serving hot food and drinks between 11pm and 5am

You’ll also need a licence if you provide the following types of entertainment:

• theatrical performance
• showing a film
• indoor sporting event
• boxing or wrestling (indoor or outdoor)
• live music
• recorded music
• dance
• facilities for making music
• dancing facilities

If you are planning an event that includes any of the above please refer to the pages below for more information on the type of licence you may require and also how to apply:

• Premises licence
• Temporary events notice
• Gambling and lotteries