Municipality Nijmegen: Applying for an event licence

You do not need a permit if your event complies with all of the following rules. These rules do not apply to private parties and wedding parties. But they do for street and neighborhood parties, and the official moment of concluding a marriage or partnership.

Does your event not comply with all the rules listed here? Then apply for a permit.

In general

• Your event has an organizer. This is someone who must be available during the event and who is responsible for the safe course of the event. 
• The organizer reports the event at least 2 weeks in advance.
• There are fewer than 250 attendees at the busiest time.

Place and time

• The event is outdoors, but not on a terrace of for example a cafe.
• Your event causes little or no inconvenience to road users. You always keep a road of 4 meters free for traffic and emergency services. The street may only be closed during street and neighborhood parties if:

  • it is a 30 km/h road
  • there is no bus passing through the street
  • the street is not a fast cycle route
  • the street is accessible for emergency services
• The event will last no more than 1 day. Sports and holiday activities for children under the age of 18 may take several days in a row, but not with an overnight stay. You must then make a separate report for each day.
• The event is between 09.00 and 23.00h. On a Sunday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, the event does not start before 13.00h. On a Friday, Saturday and the evening before a public holiday, the event may last until midnight.
• There are no other events nearby during your event. And the event is not in the 3rd full week of July in a place used by the Nijmeegse Vierdaagsemarsen or - feesten (organisations of Nijmeegse Four Days Marches).

Noise

• You play music for a maximum of 10 hours in a row.
• You ensure that you play or make music in the same place a maximum of 2 times.
• You do not aim loudspeakers at homes or shops.
• The noise level will not exceed 70 dB(A)/83 dB(C). If there are houses in the immediate proximity of the event, this noise level applies up to 2 m away from the houses. If there are no houses nearby, the noise level applies up to 35 m away from the speakers. Examples for this noise level:

  • amplified background music
  • a singer/songwriter (amplified)
  • a children’s disco
  • a street party with slightly amplified music
  • amplified spoken word

Objects and advertisement

• If you place objects on the road, they together have a maximum surface area of 50 m2. You may place a maximum of 7 (market) stalls, sales vehicles, vehicles. You may place a tent for a maximum of 50 people. You may not place a stage or grandstand.
• Advertising may only be seen at the event.

Other rules

• You do not use animals at your event. This is only allowed if animals are part of the daily work of a company. For example at a petting zoo.
• There are additional rules for events on a boat (in Dutch at nijmegen.nl).
• Also adhere to the rules for the use of public space ( in Dutch at nijmegen.nl).

• detailed map of the location and layout of the event on a scale (1:200, 1:500 or 1:1000). Here you indicate:

  • legend
  • north arrow
  • everything that is present or will be placed on the site. For example: location of the activities, tents, tables, chairs, podiums, Front of House, fire extinguishers, vehicles, fences, first aid stations, toilets/showers, generators, escape route signs and (emergency) exits
• program of the event (playbook)
• when using private land: a statement of approval for the use of the land with the signature of the owner
• when streets or parking lots are closed: traffic plan
• in some cases: a safety plan (see the example in the appendices on Vrgz.nl, in Dutch)
• residents letter in which you inform residents about the event
• overview for each placed object for which you state the maximum wind load (wind load indicates how much force the wind has on an object). Also state up to which wind force the object can remain upright. And what you do when the maximum wind load is reached
• when placing large objects/constructions: construction drawings and construction calculations

Explanation construction calculations

You need construction calculations for your applicance if you want to place large objects. We call large objects ‘constructions’. Examples of a construction:

• coverings, such as tents, stalls and shelters
• terrace or tent heating
• stages, including the rear walls with decorations or sound systems
• VIP decks and grandstands
• temporary stairs and bridges
• playground equipment

Requirements are set for such constructions because they must be safe for the users and visitors of your event. Use the Guideline Constructive Assessment Criteria for Event Permits (in Dutch). This allows you to check whether your constructions meet the conditions.

Explanation traffic plan

For an event permit, we kindly ask you for a drawing with a traffic plan. Such a drawing is necessary to prevent accidents and damage during the event. A traffic plan consists of a drawing that includes all traffic measures and a brief accompanying text explaining how the event area and surroundings will remain safe and easily accessible. It should also describe the event details, traffic risks, and the measures taken to control these risks.

Tips for your traffic plan:

• Ensure that everything is clearly legible.
• Ensure that your drawing accurately reflects the street situation.
• If the area you want to block off is too large for one drawing, divide it among multiple drawings. It’s better to have two clear drawings than one unclear one.
• Submit the traffic plan on time according to our regulations. If your organization lacks the technical expertise to create a traffic plan with a drawing, we recommend hiring a specialized company for assistance. Some examples include Traffic service Nederland, BUKO, and Trigion Traffic Support.

For non-commercial events that are open to everyone and organized by residents of Nijmegen, the municipality covers the cost of the drawing for the traffic plan.

You have 2 options:

• online with DigiD or eHerkenning (in Dutch)
• using the Message Box for entrepreneurs

When you need more than 1 permit

If you need a permit for your event, you must apply for more than 1 permit if:

• your event is on different days that are not directly connected
• it concerns 2 or more different events of the same organization on different days

Types of events

In Nijmegen, we categorize events as A, B, or C. A is the smallest type of event, and C is the largest. We classify an event into a category based on the estimated risks. An A-event is low risk, a B-event is medium risk, and a C-event is high risk.

Examples: A neighbourhood party typically falls under A-events. A small festival falls under category B. However, a Goffert concert, for instance, falls under category C. If you have any questions about this, please email evenementenactieteam@nijmegen.nl.

Assistance with applying for an A-event

Do you need help applying for a permit for small A-events? For example, a market, neighbourhood, or street party? If so, please email evenementenactieteam@nijmegen.nl. In your email, include details about the type of event you want to organize. We will then schedule an appointment with you. Please note: this does not mean that your application will be automatically approved.

Street play day, neighbourhood party or car-free Sunday

The national Car Free Sunday is every year on the 3rd Sunday of September.

For a car-free Sunday, you must close the road/street with traffic barriers and signs. You can order this by sending an email to evm@nijmegen.nl. They will deliver and pick up the fences and signs for free. Please note: once the materials have been delivered, you are responsible for the material. You ensure that we can collect the right materials in good condition.

• Tips:

  • Every year you can apply for a subsidy for neighborhood activity for 1 street play day (or the Car Free Sunday).
  • Involve the neighbors in your plans. Let them know on which day you want to make the street car-free.

Nijmeegse Vierdaagsefeesten (‘Nijmegen Four Days Marches en Celebrations’)

Different rules apply during the Nijmegen Four Days Marches and Celebrations in July:

• For a permit along the walking route, you must request a permit from the municipality of Nijmegen.
• For a terrace or stage in the city centre, you must apply for a permit from the Nijmegen Four Days Marches Foundation.

Temporarily serve alcohol

Do you want to sell low-alcoholic drinks during your event? Weak alcoholic beverages have less than 15% alcohol.

If so, you must request permission for this.

If your event is canceled

Please contact us as soon as possible. If we have already started processing your application, you will be required to pay 25% of the permit costs.

Report

Reporting an event is free.

Permit

The amount that you have to pay depends on the type of event that you are organising. For a small event, you may only need to look at noise measures. The fire brigade and ambulance service are also involved in a larger event, and a traffic plan has to be made. This makes the permit for a major event more expensive.

You pay for the permit application to be processed by the municipality, even if you do not receive the permit:

• If you get the permit, you pay 100% of the costs applicable to your event.
• Is your permit application turned down or are you withdrawing the application? Then you pay 25% of the costs that apply to your event.

Rent locations

You pay rent if you use a place that is owned by the municipality. Afdeling Stadsbeheer (‘City Management department’) draws up a rental agreement for this. If you apply for a permit, we can estimate the rental price. This is done based on the number of visitors, the number of days and the type of event.

Please note:

• We do not make rental agreements for events with less than 500 visitors.
• On private property you need permission from the owner.

You will be notified within 8 to 10 weeks. The municipality may extend this notice period once.

Upon reporting an event, you will only receive an acknowledgment of receipt. We will add your reported event to the event calendar (in Dutch).