Is an SIA Licence mandatory to work at events?

If you’re considering a career in the UK’s event industry, it’s important to know the legal requirements and qualifications needed before applying for your dream job. It’s an exciting career, after all, you may get to attend some of the hottest events in town, from concerts and festivals to sporting events and even celebrity weddings. 

So, before you start your career, be sure to get the right qualifications, in this case, an SIA Licence. Here’s how you can apply for an SIA licence:

Why do you need an SIA licence to work at events? 

To work at events, you need to know the activities for which you need an SIA licence: 

1.Security provision at public premises

Security work at premises that are open to the public, such as festivals, concerts, expos, sporting events or community events requires security personnel to hold an SIA licence.

2. Licensed premises

A licensed building is a venue that holds a licence to sell alcohol and/or provide regulated entertainment, for example, live music or film screenings. To work at a licensed venue, you will need an SIA licence.

3. Screening and security checks

Screening a person’s suitability to enter the event or venue e.g. individuals under the influence of alcohol or drugs or demonstrating anti-social behaviour. You will also need to perform security searches and pat-downs to ensure that people don’t try to sneak prohibited items into the venue. This includes those searching bags to ensure that there is no unauthorised access or any damage to property or injury to others.

4. Guarding people

At events such as concerts and festivals, you need a Close Protection Licence to protect people or certain individuals such as celebrities or public figures, against physical assault or injury.

5. Crowd control

At large events such as festivals, you will need to manage people and maintain queues to regulate large groups of people. In case, an unfortunate event occurs, you need to be agile in responding to incidents. The public will expect you to take control, so, your training prior to getting the licence will enable you to direct people on what to do in case of an emergency. 

Some other activities that require you to hold an SIA licence at events include:

1. Evicting individuals from a venue or event, for example, concert mosh pit or backstage areas
2. Safeguarding a designated area to deter crime
3. Patrolling the perimeter of an event to prevent unauthorised entry by individuals, through the climbing or breaching of any fences or barriers, or through being let in via an access point
4. Providing protection as a bodyguard to performers, corporate guests, clients, VIPS, etc. under a contract for services

Benefits of working at events

Working at events as a security professional comes with its share of responsibilities, but also its share of rewards. 

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of working at events:

1. Attend happening high profile events 
2. Work closely with celebrities, athletes and famous personalities
3. Earn more for providing security at events
4. Gain exposure by working with larger security teams 
5. Learn new skills such as crowd management, surveillance and managing incidents at events

So, to conclude, an SIA licence is your gateway to great rewards and exciting opportunities in the security industry. 

Looking for jobs? 

To find the latest security jobs, check out our Jobs Board, which has 1,000+ jobs from the UK’s best security companies. 

If you’re on the hunt for a security job on the go, download the GuardPass app for all the latest jobs and more. The GuardPass App is available for download on the Apple App Store or on the Google Play Store.