Promoters and Venues
This section provides guidance for Promoters and Venues. It should be read alongside Guidance: Resources for the Live Music Sector and Live Events.
Promoters and Venues have responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 to manage the risks of sexual harm occurring at, or in connection with, live events. In legal terms, these roles are considered PCBUs (persons conducting a business or undertaking).
In some cases, such as Artists and Venues that book their own shows, you would also consider yourself a Promoter for the purposes of this guidance.
As a PCBU, Promoters and Venues must take steps to manage the risks of sexual harassment within their workplaces and across all live events they deliver.
The guidance below outlines:
Working with other PCBUs
Event-specific resources
Foundational resources to support ongoing responsibilities
Working with other PCBUs and overlapping duties
Under law, PCBUs have a duty of care in relation to areas they control or influence. At live music events, Promoters and Venues often have overlapping responsibilities.
In the case of larger events, there are likely to be multiple other businesses in addition to the Promoter and Venue that also have overlapping areas of control, influence, and responsibility, such as the artist’s touring party, security provider, and production company providing sound and lighting. In many cases these suppliers are contracted and managed by the Promoter or Venue which as overall responsibility.
Where multiple PCBUs are working together, the law requires them to consult, cooperate, and coordinate their approach to managing risks.
Promoters and venues should therefore:
Discuss and agree with all PCBUs involved how risks will be managed
Clarify roles, responsibilities (area of control/influence), and expectations from everyone
Communicate the above clearly to all workers and participants involved
Responsibility within a live music event space is generally determined by the level of control or influence a PCBU has over that area. The greater the influence over decision-making, the greater the responsibility and potential liability.
For example, it may be agreed in practice that:
the promoter manages the stage and backstage areas, and
the venue manages public areas such as entrances and bars
However, these arrangements are not definitive. They do not remove legal responsibility where more than one PCBU has influence over the same space.
In some situations, multiple PCBUs may share responsibility for the same area and have overlapping duties.
The resources below include practical guidance to support coordination between PCBUs and clarify roles across an event.
Event Resources
Here are a range of resources intended to be used to manage the risks of sexual harm in connection with live music events:
This checklist supports event organisers to implement measures to prevent sexual harassment and harm at live music events. It covers key actions across all stages of an event:
Pre-event
Build and Show Day preparation
During the event
Post-event
Safety Measures – Promoter and Safety Measures – Venue
The Safety Measures documents help Promoters and Venues identify and manage risks of sexual harassment at live music events. They can be used as part of a broader health and safety framework, or as standalone tools. The measures are flexible in that you can apply the full set or select those most relevant to your event.
Health and Safety Briefing
A health and safety briefing at the start of a live music event helps identify key risks and reinforce expectations with crew and other workers.
Briefings can be used to:
Highlight that sexual harassment is not tolerated
Remind workers of relevant policies
Explain how and where to report concerns
The Health and Safety Briefing document includes suggested language to support addressing sexual harassment in these briefings.
The contract clauses document provides suggested wording for inclusion in agreements such as venue hire contracts, contractor agreements, ticketing terms and conditions, and artist riders.
These clauses support the integration of clear expectations relating to sexual harassment, including reference to a Sexual Harassment Policy or Code of Conduct.
Merlin’s Pass System
Merlin’s Pass is a system for clearly identifying designated contacts for workplace sexual harassment at live music events. A Merlin’s Pass holder is someone who has been trained to receive disclosures and reports of sexual harassment and is able to support workers in responding to concerns.
Merlin’s Pass should only be used alongside the full guidance which outlines:
Recommended training for pass holders
How to integrate the role into event reporting processes
This ensures the system is implemented consistently and effectively.
Visual resources and posters
Visual resources can be used at live music events to support both workers and audiences.
They can:
Provide information and reinforce training or processes for workers
Promote respectful behaviour in public-facing areas and encourage a positive event culture
These resources can be adapted to suit different event settings and audiences.
Training
All relevant workers and managers should receive training on sexual harm, along with specific training and briefings on the policies in place for the event. Information on available training options can be found on the training page.
Foundational Resources
In addition to event-specific planning, Promoters and Venues can implement safety measures across their wider business and day-to-day operations. WorkSafe guidance requires all PCBUs to have a clear policy for preventing and responding to sexual harassment. A Code of Conduct can also help set expectations for behaviour, support conversations about appropriate conduct, and reinforce a commitment to respectful workplaces.
These documents can be used by organisations of any size, including sole traders and small businesses.
Further information and downloadable templates are available here:
Sexual Harassment Policy
Code of Conduct