What is The Purple Guide?

The Purple Guide (full name The Purple Guide to Health, Safety and Welfare at Music and Other Events) is the UK industry's main guidance on health, safety and welfare at music and other events, used by organisers, suppliers and local authorities to plan safe events. It is published online by the Events Industry Forum and updated chapter by chapter as practice changes. Local authorities, Safety Advisory Groups and emergency services expect organisers to know it.

How The Purple Guide is used

The Purple Guide supports planning from the first idea to the event itself:

  1. Plan: organisers use it to understand what a safe event needs.
  2. Write documents: it guides the event management plan and risk assessments.
  3. Size services: chapters help work out medical, welfare, toilets and other provision.
  4. Review: local authorities and Safety Advisory Groups use it as a reference when checking plans.
  5. Run the event: teams refer to it for crowd, emergency and welfare arrangements.

Turning guidance into actions on site works best with clear checks for each team, which organisers can run as checklists in Crescat.

The Purple Guide vs the law

The Purple Guide is guidance, not law. The legal duties come from health and safety legislation. However, following recognised guidance such as The Purple Guide is one of the main ways organisers can show they have taken reasonable steps to keep people safe.

What The Purple Guide covers

  • Planning and management of events
  • Crowd management
  • Medical, first aid and ambulance provision
  • Welfare services
  • Sanitation, water and waste
  • Structures, electrics and fire safety
  • Noise and sound levels
  • Specific event types, such as camping and outdoor events

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called The Purple Guide?

Earlier printed versions of the guidance had purple covers, and the name stuck. The current guide is online and updated regularly, with new chapters added as the industry changes.

Is The Purple Guide free?

Access is through a paid subscription from the Events Industry Forum, though some content and summaries are available more widely.

Is The Purple Guide used outside the UK?

It is written for the UK, but organisers in other countries often use it as a reference alongside their own national guidance and laws.

Related terms