Martyn's Law: What Cultural Venues and Event Spaces Need to Know Now
Martyn's Law — officially the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 — became law on 3 April 2025, named in memory of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. It is the most significant piece of venue security legislation in more than a decade, and it applies directly to museums, galleries, heritage sites and event spaces across the UK.
The government has built in an implementation period of at least 24 months after Royal Assent before the requirements become legally enforceable — meaning full compliance will be expected from spring 2027. That window exists to give venues time to prepare properly. It is not an invitation to wait.
The Home Office published long-awaited statutory guidance in April 2026, which explains how the duties will be interpreted in practice, who they apply to, and what "reasonably practicable" looks like for premises of different sizes. For any venue that hasn't yet looked at this in detail, now is the time.
Does It Apply to Your Venue?
The Act applies broadly to premises with a capacity of over 200 people, and creates two tiers: the Standard Tier for premises that can host between 200 and 799 people at any given time, and the Enhanced Tier for venues or events where 800 or more people may be present.
The list of premises in scope includes entertainment and leisure spaces, restaurants, museums and galleries, sports grounds, places of worship, tourist attractions and any place that can accommodate more than 100 people where access is by express permission — such as ticketed events.
One detail worth understanding clearly: the threshold of 200 or 800 counts everyone who could reasonably be on the premises at once — including staff, contractors and volunteers — not just ticket sales or licensed capacity. And if a premises reaches 800 or more from time to time — for example, one large event per year — that recurrence is enough to bring the whole premises into the Enhanced Tier, not just the day of the event.
For cultural venues with flexible event spaces, this matters. A gallery that operates comfortably within the Standard Tier day-to-day may find that its annual gala or a large exhibition opening tips it into Enhanced Tier obligations for the whole year.
What Each Tier Requires
The Standard Tier requirements are centred on simple, low-cost activities designed to ensure those working at premises are better able to reduce harm and save lives in the event of an attack. There is no requirement to put in place physical security measures in this tier.
In practice this means: staff trained in terrorism awareness, documented procedures for evacuation, invacuation and lockdown, a clear communication plan, and registration with the Security Industry Authority as the appointed regulator.
The Enhanced Tier has additional requirements, including having in place appropriate public protection measures and — critically — a documented vulnerability assessment that considers how the premises might be targeted and what steps have been taken to reduce that risk. This documented assessment must be available for review by the SIA — a genuinely heavier duty than anything Standard Tier venues face.
The SIA will be able to take enforcement action where duties are not being met, including compliance notices, monetary penalties and restriction notices.</cite>
The Free Support Available
One important and underused resource: Counter Terrorism Security Advisers — CTSAs — provide free, tailored guidance to venues preparing for Martyn's Law. These are police specialists who understand protective security and can offer practical advice specific to your venue and circumstances. For Enhanced Tier venues in particular, engaging a CTSA early in the preparation process is well worth doing.
The government's intent is that venues responsible for Standard Tier premises can comply without needing to buy specialist services. The requirements at that level are genuinely designed to be achievable without significant investment — the emphasis is on culture, awareness and documented procedure rather than physical infrastructure.
What to Do Now
The 2027 deadline can feel comfortably distant. It isn't. Preparing properly — particularly for larger or more complex venues — takes longer than most teams expect, and the venues that leave this until 2026 or early 2027 will be under real pressure.
A sensible starting point for any cultural venue or event space:
Confirm your tier. Work out the realistic maximum number of people — staff, contractors, visitors — who could be present at the same time across all your activities, including events. Be honest about whether a large annual event changes your classification.
Review what you already have. Most venues will have some existing emergency procedures, evacuation plans and fire safety training. Martyn's Law doesn't require you to start from scratch — it requires you to look at what you have through a counter-terrorism lens and fill the gaps.
Train your team. ACT Awareness e-learning — Action Counters Terrorism — is the recommended starting point for staff training and is available free online. It's a practical, accessible first step that every venue in scope should be taking now.
Document everything. Even for Standard Tier venues, keeping records of training completed, procedures in place and reviews undertaken is good practice — and will be essential evidence if the SIA ever queries your compliance.
Get specialist input if you're Enhanced Tier. The vulnerability assessment requirement is substantive. If your venue regularly hosts 800 or more people, treat this as a serious planning exercise, engage a CTSA, and give yourself enough time to do it properly.
The Broader Point
Martyn's Law was born from tragedy, and it's worth holding that in mind. The requirements it introduces aren't bureaucratic box-ticking — they're the kind of preparedness that could genuinely save lives. Cultural venues, which by their nature attract large, diverse, publicly accessible audiences, have a particular responsibility to take that seriously.
The good news is that the standard of compliance expected is proportionate and largely achievable. What's required, for most venues in scope, is not a security overhaul but a more deliberate, documented and trained approach to something that good venue management should already be thinking about.
Spring 2027 is closer than it looks. Starting now is the right call.