Organising a public event

Organising a public event

The requirements for the organisation and holding of a public event are established with the aim of ensuring that the public event is held in such a way as to guarantee order, traffic safety and the safety of participants, as well as to coordinate the holding of public meetings, public events and sporting events in the municipality and to guarantee the rights of persons who do not wish to participate in the public event to use the public place.

Concerts, performances, dance evenings, sports competitions, exhibitions, quality, promotional events, processions and other similar events organised in the open air and taking place in the administrative territory of Valga municipality are considered public events. A public event may be organised by a natural person, a legal person, an association not constituted as a legal person, or a state or local government body having the capacity to act, subject to the existence of a permit issued on the basis of this Regulation and under the conditions specified therein. The procedure for organising public events in Valga municipality is regulated by the Regulation on the organisation of public events adopted by the Valga Municipal Council on 23 November 2022. Regulation "Requirements for organising and holding a public event".

In order to organise a public event, an application for a public event permit, and in the case of a traffic restriction, a traffic plan, must be submitted to the municipality at least 30 days before the event, together with all the necessary documents and approvals.

An application for a permit for a public event must be coordinated with the Police and Border Guard Board (phone 612 3000; e-mail 612 3000). louna@politsei.ee and the Rescue Board (phone 435 4512, 517 0447; e-mail. louna@rescue.ee) if at least one of the following conditions is met:

1. the event involves traffic diversions or street closures;
2. the event is expected to attract more than 400 participants;
3. an event at which there is retail sale or supply of alcoholic beverages (except an event which takes place indoors with a permanent point of sale);
4. pyrotechnic articles or open flames are used at the event;
5. other circumstances connected with the organisation of the event which may give rise to a significant or increased risk.

Events that do not meet the above criteria do not require prior coordination with the Police and Border Guard Board and the Rescue Board.

Depending on the nature of the event, its type and location, the organiser of the event may also need to coordinate the application for a public event permit with other authorities (the Transport Board, the Environment Board, etc.).

An application for an event permit involving the re-routing of traffic or the closure of streets shall be accompanied by a traffic management and a diversion plan for the re-routing of traffic and/or the diversion of collective vehicles, indicating at least the traffic management devices to be installed, parking facilities, the person responsible for traffic management and his/her contact details).

The permit for the event shall be issued or refused by the proceeding officer no later than 10 working days after the submission of a valid application.

When organising public events, you should remember the following:

• The sale of alcohol produced under domestic conditions is prohibited, as only alcohol produced in an excise warehouse and duly taxed may be sold at a public event.
• Beer, wine and fermented beverages produced in private households are not considered alcohol for the purposes of the Excise Duty Act and the Alcohol Act as long as they are used for non-commercial purposes for personal consumption.
• The production of spirits in the home is prohibited and the production equipment is subject to confiscation if found.
• The organiser of a public event must ensure that prohibited goods are not sold there.

Model request for authorisation

Please send the completed application to the following e-mail address: valga@valga.ee or bring it to the Valga municipality during the municipality's working hours to Puiestee 8, Valga. The application can also be submitted electronically

Organisation of a public meeting

A public meeting is a gathering of people in a public place for the common purpose of forming or expressing their views. A public assembly is defined as a meeting, demonstration, picket, religious event, procession or other demonstration held in the open air in a square, park, road, street or other public place. The organisation and conduct of public assemblies are governed by the following provisions law enforcement law.

The organiser of the meeting shall notify the police prefecture of the meeting no later than four working days, but no earlier than three months, before the day of the meeting. Coordination of the public meeting