What Martyn's Law Means for Event Organisers

What Martyn's Law means for event organisers comes down to one core duty. You need to make sure your event is prepared to respond if a terrorist attack were to happen. The law, formally the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, asks those responsible for certain venues and events to plan ahead and train their staff, so people can be kept as safe as possible in an emergency. At WHMG we provide event security, stewarding and emergency response for public events across the UK, and we help organisers understand these responsibilities and meet them properly.

What is Martyn's Law?

Martyn's Law is the common name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It is named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. His mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for the law, and it received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. The aim is straightforward. Venues and events that are open to the public should be ready to protect people if an attack happens, and staff should know what to do.

Is Martyn's Law in force yet

Not yet. The duties did not apply the moment the Act became law. The government has set an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent, so the requirements are expected to come into force in 2027. In the meantime, the detail has started to arrive. On 15 April 2026, the Home Office published its statutory guidance explaining what those responsible for premises and events in scope will need to do. That is why now is the sensible time to prepare, even though enforcement has not begun.

Does Martyn's Law apply to your event

Much of what Martyn's Law means for event organisers depends on the size and type of your event. The Act uses a tiered system based on how many people may be present at the same time.

Standard duty applies where 200 to 799 people may be present. The focus is on simple, low-cost steps that help staff reduce harm and keep people safe.

Enhanced duty applies to larger premises and to qualifying events, where more than 800 people may be present and there is some control over entry, such as ticketing or payment.

The duty falls on the responsible person, usually the individual or organisation in control of the event. The reach is wide. The government estimates that more than 250,000 premises fall within scope, and the rules are not limited to obvious targets. Sports grounds, entertainment venues, festivals and many other public events can all be caught.

What Martyn's Law Means for Event Organisers in practice

For most events in the standard tier, the requirements are about preparation rather than equipment. You will be expected to have public protection procedures in place and to make sure staff understand them. These procedures typically cover how you would move people away from danger, bring them to safety inside the venue where that is safer, secure or lock down the site, and communicate clearly with staff and the public during an incident.

Larger events in the enhanced tier carry more. A large part of what Martyn's Law means for event organisers at this level is planning and documentation, not just physical security. You will need to assess the specific risks to your event, record how you will manage them, and put reasonable measures in place to reduce your vulnerability. Everything is meant to be proportionate. The law does not expect a village fete to look like an airport.

Who enforces Martyn's Law

The Security Industry Authority, the SIA, is the regulator. Its role is mainly to support and advise, and the approach is intended to be proportionate rather than heavy-handed. Where there is serious or persistent non-compliance, the SIA can take enforcement action, which may include compliance notices, monetary penalties and restriction notices. The Act also creates some criminal offences for the most serious cases. For the vast majority of organisers who prepare sensibly, this is about being ready, not about penalties.

Security measures and data protection

One practical point is easy to miss. Some of the measures you might introduce, such as CCTV, will involve handling people's personal data. Martyn's Law and data protection law are separate, but they meet here. Any security measure that captures personal information still needs to comply with UK data protection rules, including the UK GDPR. Build that in from the start, so your preparations for one set of rules do not create a problem under another.

How WHMG supports event organisers

Understanding what Martyn's Law means for event organisers is one thing. Delivering against it on the day is another. That is the work we do.

WHMG has managed security for major public events for years, including eleven years at the Henley Royal Regatta, the Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby, the Goodwood Festival of Speed and, in 2025, the VJ Day 80 commemorations at the National Memorial Arboretum. Our teams are SIA-licensed and trained to current counter-terrorism standards (CT ACT), and many of our people come from the Armed Forces and emergency services. Alongside stewarding and crowd management, we provide on-site emergency response and medical, fire and rescue cover, which are the capabilities that matter when a plan has to become action.

It is worth being clear about one thing. The Home Office has said that premises and events do not need to spend money on consultants to comply, and its guidance is free to use. For a smaller event, you may be able to prepare on your own. Where an event is large, complex or high-profile, professional support with your planning, staff briefings and on-the-day delivery can make that preparation far easier to get right. We are happy to help with as much or as little as you need.

Prepare now, well before the deadline

The duties are still a little way off, but the direction is set and the guidance is already here. Reading up now, working out which tier you fall into and sketching out your procedures will put you in a strong position long before enforcement begins. That head start is exactly what Martyn's Law means for event organisers who want to be ready rather than rushed. If you would like help understanding your responsibilities or planning security for an upcoming event, speak to the WHMG team today.