How to plan security for a Christmas market

Licences and permissions to check first

Requirements vary by council, so start with the licensing and events team for the area where the market will run. The City of Edinburgh Council's guidance for event organisers (April 2026) is a useful example:

• Selling goods, services or food in a public space needs either a street trading licence or a market operator's licence.
• Serving alcohol needs an occasional licence from the licensing board. Edinburgh's licensing policy says occasional licences can cover up to 14 days.
• Fairground rides and amusement devices need a public entertainment licence.
• Temporary structures in place for more than 28 days may need planning permission or a building warrant.
• Road closures need a temporary traffic order, which takes significant planning time.

Edinburgh asks organisers to submit draft event information to its Events Planning and Operations Group three months before the event, or six months for a major event. Other councils run their own safety advisory processes with their own timings.

Assessing the crowd risks

The organiser is responsible for the safety of the public, even when security or stewarding is contracted out. HSE's guidance on crowd management says "you retain overall responsibility for ensuring the safety of the public". Its list of crowd risk factors works well as a checklist for a Christmas market:

• Expected numbersUse previous attendance, numbers at similar events and publicity. Allow for the busiest days, weather and transport problems.
• Safe capacityWork out the capacity of the site and of each zone. Narrow aisles between stalls are where crowding builds.
• Who is comingFamilies with children and buggies, older visitors, people with disabilities, and groups who have been drinking.
• LayoutEntrances, exits and routes that let people arrive, move around and leave without crossflow.
• VehiclesSeparate pedestrians from deliveries and traders' vehicles, especially at setup and breakdown.
• Other hazardsLighting after dark, icy or wet ground, stalls that block routes, generators and heaters.

Security roles and who needs an SIA licence

Under SIA rules, the activity decides whether a licence is needed, not the job title. GOV.UK guidance for event security says:

• Stewarding duties, such as directing people to toilets or first aid, do not need a licence.
• Checking tickets or invitations does not need a licence. Refusing someone entry or making them leave does.
• Searching people or bags to stop prohibited items coming in, and patrolling the perimeter to prevent unauthorised entry, are licensable activities.
• In a bar area covered by an alcohol licence, staff guarding it while it is open and alcohol is available need a door supervisor licence. The licensable area is usually shown on the plan submitted with the licence application.
• Contracted guards protecting stalls and stock overnight need a security guard licence.

The Edinburgh guidance asks organisers to set out steward positions and types (supervisor, SIA licensed or steward), roles, command and control, and zoning in the event plan. Our guide to how many security staff an event needs explains how to work out the count. If you plan to search visitors, decide early whether to use bag checks, handheld wands or P1 knife arch hire, as each changes the layout of the entrance.

Martyn's Law

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 3rd April 2025 and applies across the UK, including Scotland. The Home Office has said there will be an implementation period of at least 24 months before it comes into force, and published statutory guidance on 15th April 2026.

Under the Act, a "qualifying event" is one open to the public, expected to have 800 or more people present at the same time, with entry controlled by a condition such as a ticket or pass. The Home Office notes that outdoor and temporary events can fall within scope because premises include land without buildings. Organisers of ticketed festive events of that size should read the statutory guidance now. Organisers of free entry markets should check the guidance to confirm whether their event is covered.

Opening hours, dark evenings and overnight

Most Christmas markets trade after dark, and stalls often stay on site overnight. Plan for:

• Lighting on every route, entrance and exit, and around generators and cables.
• Extra staff at the busiest times, usually evenings and weekends, and at closing when everyone leaves at once.
• A lock-up routine for each stall, with a final check by security before the site is handed over to overnight cover.
• Overnight guarding or patrols if stalls hold stock, cash or equipment.
• Clear lines of communication between security, stewards, first aid and the event control point, with radios where the site is large.

Working with the police and council

Share the event plan with the council and Police Scotland early, and agree points of contact for each day. Agree in advance how incidents will be reported, who calls the emergency services, and how a closure or evacuation would be decided and announced. Keep a written log of incidents for each day.

Planning timeline

• Six months out (major events) or three months outcontact the council events and licensing teams, draft the event plan and risk assessment, and book security.
• Two to three months outsubmit licence applications, agree the site layout, and confirm security roles and numbers with the provider.
• One month outsite walk with the security provider, final plan issued to the council and police, briefing materials prepared.
• Opening dayfull briefing for security, stewards and traders, and a walk round of the site before the gates open.
• Each eveningdebrief, log review and any changes for the next day.

Learn about On Guard Security

Festive events need security planned around the site layout, the opening hours and what stays on site overnight. On Guard Security provides event security across Scotland, with SIA licensed officers, radio controllers, spotters, patrol staff, supervisors and response teams. Each event is planned from a site walk and a written security plan covering staffing, deployment positions, search policy, incident escalation and communications.

Festive work includes Clydeside Christmas Village on South Street, Glasgow, in 2025, where a team of more than 12 under a Security Team Manager and a Security Operations Manager ran site walkthroughs, closed gaps in access, managed the crowd and dealt with antisocial behaviour. At Kirkcaldy Links Market 2026, more than 30 On Guard staff covered six days and over 350,000 visitors without major incidents.

Get in touch with your dates and site, and we will learn about your event and requirements, then provide a tailored quotation and security plan. See our page on Christmas market security in Scotland, or event security in Glasgow and event security in Edinburgh.