Do I also need an event permit for a small festival?

Often yes. As soon as you expect more than a few hundred visitors, play music, serve food and drink or close a road, you usually fall outside the notification scheme and need a permit. A notification is only enough for small, low-risk events. Your municipality sets the threshold.

How far in advance should I apply for the event permit?

Count on at least 8 to 12 weeks. For larger or higher-risk B and C events, municipalities often advise 12 weeks to six months. Utrecht, for example, applies at least 12 weeks, The Hague at least 8 weeks. Always check the deadline of your own municipality.

Do I need a separate noise exemption for amplified music?

Usually yes. Amplified sound falls under the APV and often requires a separate exemption with maximum decibel limits and end times. Preferably apply for it at the same time as your event permit, because deadlines apply here too.

What happens if I apply for my permit too late?

The municipality can then set your application aside or refuse it, which means your event cannot go ahead. So start well in advance and submit your application complete in one go, including all attachments.

What is the difference between an A, B and C event?

A is a regular event without notable risks, B an event needing attention with possible risks, and C a high-risk event for which the fire service, police and GHOR advise jointly. The higher the class, the heavier the procedure and the earlier you have to start.

Applying for an event permit: complete guide 2026

Q: What does an event permit cost?

That varies widely by municipality, from around 75 euros to several thousand euros for large events. For a notification of a small event you usually pay nothing. Request the fee table from your municipality to include the fees in your budget. Amounts are indicative (2026).

Notification or event permit: what do you need?

Not every event needs a permit. For small, low-risk events a notification to the municipality is often enough. Think of a neighbourhood party or a small street performance. If your event does not meet all the conditions for a notification, you need an event permit.

The exact threshold varies by municipality. As an example, the municipality of The Hague applies conditions like these for a notification:

a maximum of 250 visitors at any one time
between 10:00 and 23:00
little or no road closure and no traffic measures
at least 3.5 metres of clear passage for emergency services
only light, safe objects such as a small tent or bouncy castle

For most festivals with 200 to 2,000 visitors, music and food and drink, you quickly fall under the permit requirement. A notification usually has to be submitted at least 15 working days in advance, a permit well before that.

Risk classification A, B and C for events

As soon as you apply for a permit, the municipality assigns your event to a risk class. That classification determines how heavy the procedure is and whether the emergency services are involved. The safety regions (veiligheidsregio's) in the Netherlands use three classes for this:

Class A: a regular event without notable risks, that requires little or no involvement from the emergency services.
Class B: an event needing attention with possible risks, for which additional rules are needed to safeguard safety.
Class C: a high-risk event for which the fire service, police and GHOR (the regional medical emergency response organisation) issue joint advice.

The municipality bases the classification on three profiles: the activity profile (what happens, for example fire or gas cylinders), the spatial profile (the location and its accessibility) and the audience profile (the number and type of visitors). The higher the class, the more documents and consultation the municipality requires, and the earlier you have to start.

How far in advance should you apply for an event permit?

The biggest mistake of beginning organisers is applying too late. If you apply too late, the municipality can set your application aside or refuse it.

As a rule of thumb: submit at least 8 to 12 weeks in advance. The exact deadline varies by municipality and by risk class. A few indicative examples (2026, varies by municipality):

Municipality of Utrecht: at least 12 weeks in advance.
Municipality of The Hague: at least 8 weeks, and 18 weeks for very large events.
For B and C events, many safety regions advise starting 12 weeks to six months in advance.

Count on the municipality only issuing the permit definitively a few weeks before your event. So start early, especially if you also need to secure subsidy, sponsors or suppliers.

Which documents do you need for the permit application?

For a festival permit application, the municipality almost always asks for a set of attachments. Which ones exactly depends on the risk class, but these are the most commonly requested documents:

Safety plan: how you control risks, covering security, first aid, incidents and evacuation.
Floor plan or site drawing: a scale drawing with stages, tents, emergency exits, fencing, food and drink and toilets.
Traffic or mobility plan: how visitors arrive, where they park and how emergency services can get in.
Running order: the schedule for build-up, programme and breakdown, with contact persons.

For larger events, a communication plan, a structural calculation for stands or stages and a medical plan are often added. Submit everything complete in one go. An incomplete application delays processing and can put your deadline at risk.

Arranging a noise exemption and additional permits

An event permit does not cover everything. For amplified music you often need a separate noise exemption, based on the General Local Bye-law (Algemene Plaatselijke Verordening, APV) of your municipality. Municipalities set maximum noise limits and end times. As an indication, Utrecht for example applies limits of around 80 dB(A) during the day, with lower values after 23:00.

In addition, consider:

an environmental permit if you build in a protected area or deviate from the zoning plan, to be checked via the Environment Desk (Omgevingsloket).
an exemption for serving alcohol at a public location.
arrangements about waste, temporary structures and sometimes an exemption for open fire or fireworks.

Also arrange your music rights with Buma/Sena. That is separate from the municipality, but it is part of running a festival.

Fees: what does an event permit cost?

For processing your application, the municipality charges fees (leges). The amounts vary widely and are set annually by each municipality. One municipality charges per visitor number, another per risk class. A few indicative rates (2026, varies by municipality):

Municipality of Lochem: around 75 euros to take an application into processing.
Municipality of Hilversum: around 183 or 459 euros, depending on the type of event.
Municipality of Utrecht: from around 247 euros to over 12,000 euros for the largest events, plus an amount for a noise measurement.

For a notification of a small event, organisers usually pay no fees. Request the fee table from your municipality so you can include the costs in your budget.

Where and how do you apply for the permit?

You apply for the event permit at the municipality where your festival takes place. That can usually be done online via the municipal desk or via the Message Box for businesses (Berichtenbox). An environmental permit is arranged via the national Environment Desk (Omgevingsloket), while a noise exemption and an alcohol exemption go via the municipality.

Because a festival can easily involve four or five separate applications with their own deadlines and attachments, it pays to keep everything in one place. In festival software such as festival.productions you can manage the permit dossier, the documents and the deadlines centrally, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Short step-by-step plan:

Call or email the permits department of your municipality early about the risk class and the deadline.
Gather your attachments: safety plan, floor plan, mobility plan and running order.
Submit the application complete and on time, together with any noise exemption.
Respond quickly to questions from the municipality or the emergency services.

Important to know

Please note: this is general information and not legal advice. Rules, deadlines and fees vary by municipality and change regularly. Always check the website of your own municipality, your safety region and the official sources before you apply.