New Year’s Eve is different from any other night. Crowds are bigger, people arrive earlier and stay later, and everything builds towards midnight. This year it falls on a Thursday, with the New Year’s Day bank holiday on the Friday, so many venues and events can expect a long, busy night.
Whether you run a bar, a hotel party or a ticketed event, good planning is what keeps the night safe and enjoyable. Here is a checklist to work through.
Start with the numbers
Work out how many people you expect, what your safe capacity is and whether the event is ticketed or open to walk-ins. Ticketed events are easier to plan for because you know who is coming. For walk-in venues, plan how you will count people in and out and what happens when you reach capacity.
Check your licence
Many premises licences include later hours for New Year’s Eve, but not all of them do. Check yours well in advance. If you need to extend your hours, or you are holding an event somewhere without a licence, you may need a Temporary Event Notice, which has to be given at least ten working days before the event. Our guide to Temporary Event Notices for Christmas and New Year explains the rules and deadlines.
Your New Year’s Eve security checklist
- Entry and ticket checks. Decide who checks tickets and ID, and how you will deal with people turned away.
- Searches. Set a clear search policy and make sure it is applied to everyone, every time.
- Queues. Expect queues to build early. Keep them moving and think about people waiting in the cold.
- Capacity. Count people in and out, and plan what happens when you are full.
- The midnight peak. Crowds gather at the bar, by the windows or around the countdown. Position officers where crowding is most likely.
- Welfare. Have a plan for people who are unwell, vulnerable or separated from their friends, and know where first aid is.
- Communication. Make sure security, bar staff and management can reach each other quickly, by radio if possible.
- Dispersal. Taxis are in short supply after midnight. Plan for people leaving in large numbers and waiting outside.
- Records. Log incidents, refusals and ejections as they happen so you have an accurate account of the night.
Outdoor and public events
Fireworks displays, street parties and outdoor events need extra planning for crowd movement, barriers, entry points and vehicle access. Some roles can be filled by stewards, but anyone carrying out licensable security activity under contract, such as searching people or refusing entry, needs the right SIA licence. With the UK threat level at severe, it is also worth looking at how your event would respond to a serious incident. Our free Martyn’s Law readiness checklist is a good place to start.
Brief your team
A short briefing before doors open makes a big difference. Go through capacity, the entry policy, where officers are positioned, what to do if someone is unwell and who makes decisions if something goes wrong. Our officers are briefed on your venue or event before they start, so they know your layout, your licence conditions and your expectations.
Planning a New Year’s Eve event in Devon or the South West? See our event security and door supervision services, or request a free quote.