London festival fire safety 2025: How to safeguard your London festival from fire risks
Introduction
London festival fire safety 2025 will be the foundation of this guide, and you will learn practical, legal and technical steps to protect people, assets and your licence. This article explains how organisers should assess risk, design safe sites, manage crowds, work with authorities and put effective firefighting and evacuation measures in place. Suggested URL slug: london-festival-fire-safety-2025.
Understanding festival fire risks in London
Outdoor and indoor festivals create many fire hazards. For example, temporary stages, catering rigs, generators, public smoking, campfires and pyrotechnics all increase risk. Additionally, high visitor numbers, compressed crowd zones and restricted escape routes amplify consequence. Therefore, assessing both likelihood and impact is essential.
Start by identifying ignition sources and combustible materials. Next, map routes where smoke and heat could spread. Finally, profile your audience. Consider age, mobility and likely behaviour. This step is central to any effective plan and links directly to the legal duty to carry out a fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. For practical guidance see the official GOV.UK fire risk assessment guidance.
Who has legal responsibility and what they must do
The Responsible Person holds the primary legal duties for festival fire safety. That may be the event organiser, venue owner or an appointed manager. They must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is completed, documented and reviewed. In addition, they must arrange for appropriate fire safety arrangements, training and testing.
Engage competent advisers when needed. If your team lacks expertise, appoint a qualified assessor. For London events, liaise early with the London Fire Brigade and local safety advisory groups to ensure your plans meet local expectations. The London Fire Brigade’s business engagement pages explain responsibilities and recent regulatory updates.
Carry out a festival-specific fire risk assessment
A festival risk assessment differs from a static premises assessment. First, break the site into zones: arrival, circulation, concessions, performance areas and exit routes. Second, consider dynamic risks such as crowd surges and weather. Third, identify responsibilities for each zone and for temporary installations.
Make your assessment proportionate and recorded. Use the GOV.UK five-step approach and, where needed, follow the event-specific guides for places of assembly and open-air venues. You can also book a professional review; Total Safe offers dedicated fire risk assessment services tailored for events.
Designing a safe festival site: layout and segregation
Good site design prevents fires and limits spread. Locate cooking and fuel-storage areas well away from high-traffic zones. Create hard-standing for generators and ensure they are on non-combustible bases. Provide clear, unobstructed access for emergency vehicles.
Implement physical segregation. Use barriers to separate the audience from stages and to protect vulnerable areas. Ensure that concessions have safe clearance to combustibles and that waste holds are positioned for rapid removal. In addition, provide properly marked smoking zones and safe disposal bins to reduce discarded-smoking-material fires.
Crowd management and evacuation planning
Effective crowd management is a fire safety measure. Plan for arrival, movement and dispersal. Use modelling and historical data to estimate peak flows. Then design entry and exit widths to prevent bottlenecks.
Prepare an evacuation plan that identifies assembly points and routes that stay clear in all foreseeable scenarios. Assign clear roles to stewards and safety officers. Regularly monitor crowd distribution and have trigger points to act if congestion builds. HSE event guidance explains practical crowd controls and monitoring techniques; consult the HSE events and crowd management guidance for templates and checklists.
Temporary structures, electrics and hot works
Temporary structures present two linked risks: structural collapse and fire spread. Ensure all stages, tents and rigs are installed by competent contractors and have load and wind calculations. Obtain certification for structural integrity.
Electrical supply must be planned by a qualified electrician. Use RCD protection, secure cabling and weatherproof connections. Generators should have clear fuel-management procedures and spill containment. For hot works, such as welding or flame effects, require hot-work permits and dedicated safety watch personnel.
For fire detection and alarm needs, follow recognised standards. BSI provides up-to-date guidance on fire detection systems suitable for non-domestic and event contexts; see the BSI resources on the BS 5839 series for selection, installation and maintenance best practice.
Fire detection, suppression and firefighting provision
Detection and early warning save lives. Use automatic detection where possible in enclosed or high-risk temporary buildings. Equip the site with public address capabilities so announcements reach the whole crowd.
Provide firefighting equipment that matches risk. Extinguishers, hose reels and suitable suppression systems must be placed where they are accessible and clearly signed. Make sure trained personnel know how to use the appliances. Total Safe can inspect and maintain your fire-fighting equipment and offer installation of alarms, sprinklers and suppression systems.
Additionally, arrange for on-site fire response roles. For larger events, consider a dedicated firefighting team or rapid-response units liaising with the fire service. Keep hydrants and water supplies tested and clearly mapped for emergency crews.
Information, training and exercises
Training should be practical and role-based. Train stewards, contractors and performers on fire prevention, detection and evacuation duties. Run tabletop exercises and full-scale evacuation drills where practical.
Provide concise, visible instructions for visitors. Use simple signage to show exits, assembly points and smoking zones. For staff and volunteers, provide briefing packs and run-throughs before the event opens. If you need help designing training, Total Safe’s fire marshal and event training courses are built for event teams.
Liaison with emergency services and safety advisory groups
Early engagement with the emergency services, local authority and transport providers is vital. Share your risk assessment, site plans and incident management arrangements. Many London boroughs operate a Safety Advisory Group (SAG). Presenting your plans to a SAG helps identify local issues such as traffic impact, crowd dispersal and resource needs.
Agree communication protocols with the fire service and set up a single point of contact for incident escalation. Hold a pre-event briefing with all agencies to confirm roles and reinforce access routes for emergency vehicles.
Managing specific hazards: cooking, pyrotechnics, waste and wildfires
Catering operations are a common source of fire at festivals. Ensure vendors follow safe fuel storage, hood extraction and appliance maintenance practices. Regulate open flames and require suppression on cooking rigs.
Pyrotechnics and flame effects demand specialist assessment and licencing. Use licensed technicians, maintain exclusion zones and notify the fire service in advance.
Control waste and litter to reduce arson and accidental ignition. Empty bins regularly and situate them away from structures. For rural or park-based festivals, consider wildfire risk controls such as banning disposable barbecues and sky lanterns. The NFCC publishes clear advice on outdoor fire risks and prevention; we recommend consulting their wildfire guidance when relevant.
Pre-event checks and real-time monitoring
Before opening, run a full site check. Verify exits are clear, firefighting equipment is in place, generators and electrical supplies are secure and stewards are briefed. Test communications and public-address systems.
During the event, maintain a proactive inspection regime. Use CCTV where feasible and patrols to identify developing hazards such as litter fires or illegal hot-work. Implement a reporting line for staff and volunteers to escalate concerns immediately.
Post-event review and continuous improvement
After the festival, debrief with all stakeholders. Record incidents and near misses. Analyse what worked and what did not. Update your risk assessment and procedures accordingly.
Share lessons with the SAG and local partners. Many festivals find that incremental improvements year-on-year dramatically reduce risk and improve public confidence.
Conclusion — next steps for organisers
London festival fire safety 2025 requires planning, competent advice and clear leadership. To recap: carry out a festival-specific fire risk assessment, design the site to limit ignition and spread, manage crowds and evacuations, control temporary structures and electrics, provide detection and firefighting capability, train staff and liaise with emergency services. Start early and build relationships with the authorities.
If you need specialist support, Total Safe can audit your plans, provide training and maintain or install fire safety systems. For a free consultation or a site visit, contact us via our contact page.
For legal guidance and templates, use the official GOV.UK five-step checklist. For practical crowd management and event safety checklists see the HSE events and crowd management guidance. For standards on fire detection systems consult the BSI information on the BS 5839 series.
FAQ
Q: Who must carry out a fire risk assessment for a London festival?
A: The Responsible Person (often the organiser or site owner) must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is completed. Competent advisers should be engaged where necessary.
Q: How far in advance should I start festival fire planning?
A: Start as early as possible. For medium to large events allow months for site design, licences, SAG engagement and contractor appointments. For smaller events, allow weeks to complete assessments and training.
Q: Are pyrotechnics allowed at festivals?
A: They can be used but only by licensed operators and with a detailed risk assessment, exclusion zones and advance notice to emergency services.
Q: What basic firefighting equipment should be on site?
A: Portable extinguishers appropriate to likely fuel types, clear water supplies or hydrant access, and designated staff trained to use them. Larger events may need hose reels or suppression systems.
Q: Can Total Safe help with festival fire plans and training?
A: Yes. Total Safe provides fire risk assessments, fire marshal training and equipment services tailored to events. Contact us via our fire risk assessment and training pages for details.
