Book Parliament Square Garden
Applications for protests and rallies are open for Parliament Square.
Applications for rallies, protests and small scale, commercial filming and photography will be assessed on an individual basis.
As part of the authorisation process for requests for use of Parliament Square Gardens for protests, rallies and filming/photography hire, a suitable site specific risk assessment will also need to be submitted.
Horticultural works November 2023
Fencing has temporarily been installed at Parliament Square to protect the grass and public safety due to the adverse effect recent wet weather has had on the central grass area.
Applications for activities located on the hard standing on the north and west side of Parliament square are still being accepted and reviewed as standard. Organisers must ensure public access routes are maintained during their activity.
Parliament Square Garden may be used for filming, photo-shoots and public gatherings, subject to approval.
Sustainable activity
Here at The GLA we want to make all our events as sustainable as we can. In the run up to the London 2012 Games, we achieved the BS8901 standard in sustainable events.
City Hall’s Events for London and Facilities Management teams are now working towards the ISO 20121 standard. This standard has been designed to help organisations make their events - and related activities, products and services - as sustainable as possible.
To find out more, see our Event Sustainability Policy.
GLA Event Sustainability Policy
Using the Square
Please note that there are no services on Parliament Square Garden.
Stages, large infrastructure and vehicles are not permitted on site, but small lightweight infrastructure can be considered on a case by case basis. Please refer to the byelaws and Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 for more information.
How to apply
Applications must be received at least 14 days ahead of the proposed activity, you must allow at least 21 days if your request includes the use of amplified noise equipment. We would advise that an application is submitted at the earliest opportunity to secure a date.
Please note that authorisation may be withdrawn at any time by ourselves, or as a result of government or local authority advice.
Please contact [email protected] to discuss your proposal.
Guidance documents
Parliament Square is ideally situated to capture some of the world’s most famous landmarks, may be just what you need for your next film location.
Whilst infrastructure must be kept to a minimum we would look forward to discussing your filming project in more detail.
Application forms
Please download the form and open it as an Adobe PDF - you will then be able to fill it in.
Please email your completed form to: [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
The GLA manages Trafalgar and Parliament Square Garden, whilst there is no fee applicable for rallies or protest activity any commercial activity requests are subject to a hire fee. A completed application needs to be submitted at least fourteen working days before any activity. Large or complex proposals will require longer notice periods.
Applications will not be taken for Parliament Square more than six months in advance and organisers may have only one application pending in the same period. Applications operate on a first come, first served basis. Weekend bookings for rallies and demonstrations may take precedence over other activities.
Once a completed application has been received with all necessary documentation attached, your application will be considered valid and passed to an Events Officer. An available date will then be confirmed and the officer will assess the application and all the details of the event/activity. Once all the relevant information has been provided the Officer will determine if approval can be given.
Final approval will only be granted once full details of the activity requested by the GLA are given.
Organisers must provide full details of the activity, date, times and information of any requests for equipment to be brought onto the Square.
Additional documents are required such as risk assessments for equipment. In addition to a completed application form, a copy of the current Public Liability Insurance for a minimum cover of £5 million is required for the GLA to consider an activity on Trafalgar or Parliament Square Garden.
Public Liability Insurance provides cover in the event that organisers injure anyone or damage third party property - such as GLA property or that of other visitors, consultants and others. This cover is vital in the event that the organisers cause serious injury or even death. The cover is based upon negligence, so any other party would still need to prove that the organiser was negligent. The policy responds to claims from third parties.
Will Public Liability insurance for less than £5 million be okay?
The GLA requires Public Liability Insurance cover for a minimum of £5 million and would request the organiser to purchase sufficient cover for the period of the event.
Can Public Liability Insurance be in another currency, for example Euro or US$?
Insurance may be in a different currency however when the foreign currency cover is converted to British pounds it must cover a minimum of £5 million. The currency conversion rate used to assess if the insurance covers a minimum of £5 million will be the current exchange rate. A copy of the foreign Public Liability Insurance must be provided and confirmation and translation may be required to verify that it is valid Public Liability Insurance for the activity.
In order to confirm dates and to assess if approval can be given, the GLA does require a complete application form with all sections completed and relevant documentation attached.
You should therefore provide as much detail as possible when submitting the application and send any other details and documents soon as possible.
This is so the application can be considered valid and passed to an Events Officer. A date will then be confirmed and your application assessed. Final approval will be granted only when full details of the activity requested by the GLA are given.
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