Licence for The Provision of Arts Entertainment

Arts entertainment events or activities include plays, music and dance performances, art exhibitions, variety shows, and pop/rock concerts.

Unless exempted, all indoor or outdoor arts entertainment events conducted at a place accessible to the public require an Arts Entertainment Licence. Any organisation or individual may apply for an Arts Entertainment Licence. A person applying on behalf of his/her organisation should preferably be a member of the organisation’s management.

Some arts entertainment events or activities are exempted from arts entertainment licensing if they are able to meet certain conditions. For details on arts entertainment, please refer to the following:

1. EXEMPTED ARTS ENTERTAINMENT CATEGORIES UNDER THE PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENTS AND MEETINGS (SPECIFIED ARTS ENTERTAINMENT) (EXEMPTION) ORDER 2005

For specified arts entertainment events/activities held outdoors, organisers are required to notify the Singapore Police Force of the performance at least seven days before the event by submitting a Public Entertainment Licence - Notification to Police of Exempted Public Entertainments or Arts Entertainment.

Alternatively you can download the form (103.32KB) which can be faxed or submitted in person to any of the Police posts, centres or land divisions.

View the Specified Arts Entertainment Exemption Order 2005 (44.77KB).

2. EXEMPTED CATEGORIES UNDER THE PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENTS (EXEMPTIONS) ORDER

• “Getais”;
• Performances of music, singing or dancing by or for children held at hotels or shopping centres;
• “Lion” or “Dragon” dances;
• Constituency activities;
• Busking;
• Karaoke singing at weddings.

With the exception of busking and karaoke singing at weddings, the organisers of the above activities will need to notify the Singapore Police Force at least seven days before the event by submitting a Public Entertainment Licence - Notification to Police of Exempted Public Entertainments or Arts Entertainment.

For busking, a Letter of Endorsement from the National Arts Council is required. Please refer to the NAC Busking Scheme.

View the Public Entertainments (Exemptions) Order (3.84MB).

3. EXEMPTED ARTS ENTERTAINMENT WITHOUT CONDITIONS

No licence is required for the following arts entertainment activities:

• Any arts entertainment event/activity organised or sponsored by the Management Committee of the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre and held in that Theatre.
• The playing of live-band music, or any karaoke singing, between 7 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. at weddings which are held in HDB void decks or along the roadside in non-HDB areas (including those held in the compounds of private houses) or in multi-purpose halls.
• The playing of live-band music provided at funerals.
• Any arts entertainment event/activity provided or under the auspices of any Statutory Board.
• Any arts entertainment event/activity organised by LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts of the Arts. 
• Any arts entertainment event/activity organised by Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore University of Social Sciences and Singapore University of Technology and Design.
• Any performance organised by The Esplanade Co. Ltd in any place to which the public or any class of the public has access, with or without payment.
• Any arts entertainment event/activity organised by National Gallery Singapore, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and DesignSingapore Council.

Plays, music and dance performances, variety shows and pop/rock concerts: $10 per day

Art exhibitions, play-readings, poetry recitals, puppet shows and tableaux: $5 per day.

The licence is valid only on the dates specified.

IMDA has drawn up the following guidelines to facilitate the application process for Arts Entertainment Licences. These guidelines are designed to ensure that the licensing process is efficient and effective and that content standards are maintained. For proper assessment and classification of the event, applicants are advised to submit complete applications with all the necessary information provided.

Please click here to proceed with an Arts Entertainment Licence application.

Click here for the Submission Guide for Arts Entertainment, and its related documents below:

• Content Checklist form for Unscripted and Multidisciplinary Performances (224.63KB)
• Content Checklist form for Improv Performances (129.10KB)
• Children and Young Persons Act (8.71MB)
• Arts Entertainment Classification Code (84.23KB)

To allow sufficient time for applications to be processed or advisories to be included in publicity materials and advertisements, submissions should be made at least two months before the date of the event. Late or incomplete submission of supporting documents may result in a delay of the issuance of the licence and IMDA cannot ensure that the application will be processed in time for the event.

The Licensing Officer may impose conditions on the licence. Please click on the licensing conditions (34.70KB) for arts entertainment (ad-hoc licensing) for more info.