- Music
- 23 Jun 15
Consultations with local authorities will now be required before applying for event licences.
The government has today unveiled new, clearer licensing arrangements as they aim to avoid a future situation similar to the one surrounding Garth Brooks' ill-fated Croke Park dates last year.
Following that debacle, which resulted in 400,000 fans missing out on any Brooks appearance, a review group has received submissions and held six talks to establish new guidelines.
Their recommendations now form the basis for a series of new rules that come into effect on October 1.
Chief among them is that pre-application talks must now be held with the local authority, with the onus on promoters to organise consultative meetings.
These meetings were previously commonplace, but they are now mandatory.
If promoters advertise or sell tickets before these consultations, they will automatically be denied a licence.
Licensing applications will have to be lodged at least 13 weeks in advance of the event.
The public consultation period for applications will be reduced to three weeks.
Additional performances to already-announced events will require a further consultation meeting.
Furthermore, these new rules will allow time for an appeal process, which was not available with last year's infamous case.