Holding an event

What the borough council's pages say about putting on an event on its land, including the seafront, with the notice each step needs, quoted from the council's pages on the date shown.

Permission and notice

• Applying for permission to hold an event ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

  The council asks for at least three months' notice for small and medium events and six months' for large ones. A road closure needs an application to the county council (the highway authority) and the borough council, with three months' notice.

• The booking process ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Events on council land start with the event enquiry form. This page says the first draft Event Management Plan is due 90 days before the event and the final version 30 days before.

• Event Management Plans ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

  This page says the draft is due at least 75 days before the event and the final plan at least 30 days before.

• The Safety Advisory Group ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Council services and the police, fire and ambulance services review the Event Management Plan. If the group isn't satisfied and the event is on council land, the council's page says it may not go ahead.

Road closures

• Road closures and traffic management ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

  This page says an application must be made at least eight weeks before the closure, costs £75 (non-refundable), and needs £5m public liability insurance for a residents' street party or £10m for other closures.

  Also: Apply for a temporary road closure ↗

• Street parties and fetes ↗

  East Sussex County Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Banners, bunting or lights hung over the highway need a licence from East Sussex Highways.

• Highway licences and permits ↗

  East Sussex Highways (for East Sussex County Council) · checked 11 Oct 2026

Licences

• Temporary event notices ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

  For alcohol, regulated entertainment or late-night refreshment where there's no premises licence. The page says fewer than 500 people at all times, no more than 168 hours, at least 10 working days' notice, and a fee of £21.

  Also: Temporary Events Notice (GOV.UK) ↗

• Street trading at events ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Street trading consents ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 12 Oct 2026

  The page says selling goods or services on the street needs a street trading consent, allowed only in some parts of the town, with at least 28 days' notice; seafront and park pitches are offered by tender on the council's concessions page.

• Filming in Hastings ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 12 Oct 2026

  The page asks a production for a shooting schedule, a risk assessment and £10 million public liability insurance.

• Performing on the beach (the seashore byelaws, PDF) ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 12 Oct 2026

  Byelaw 4 says no one may give a speech, play music or hold an entertainment on the seashore except in an area set aside for it. We found no busking policy on the borough council's site.

The seafront and the Foreshore Trust

• Event locations ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

• The Stade Open Space ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

  About two thirds of the open space, and all of Stade Hall, belong to the Foreshore Trust. The page says an entrance fee can be charged only by charitable or not-for-profit hirers; commercial hires must keep public access free.

• The Foreshore Trust and its land ↗

  Hastings Borough Council · checked 11 Oct 2026

  The page says the borough council is the trust's trustee, and links a map of the land the trust owns.

Where two of the council's pages give different notice for the same step, both are shown. The council's events team (eventsadmin@hastings.gov.uk, named on its pages) can say which applies.

Every outside link on this page was opened and read on the day shown beside it, most recently 12 Oct 2026. Each goes to the body that runs the service. Links not rechecked for 90 days are listed on data health.