Event insurance guide

Most events run smoothly. But when something unexpected does happen – a sudden storm, an injured volunteer, a venue that pulls out the week before – the difference between a covered event and an uncovered one can mean the difference between a bad day and a financial disaster. This guide explains the main types of event insurance, what Australian councils and venues typically require, and how to make sure your cover matches your event.

Why does event insurance matter?

Event organisers take on real responsibility the moment they open ticket sales. If a guest slips and injures themselves, if your hired equipment is damaged, or if your headline act cancels at short notice, the costs can escalate quickly. Insurance doesn’t prevent those things from happening – but it protects you and your organisation from bearing the full financial and legal weight when they do.

Many event organisers assume their venue’s insurance will cover them. It rarely does. A venue’s policy covers the venue – not the event, not your volunteers, and not the attendees under your supervision.

What is public liability insurance and do I need it?

Public liability insurance is the most important cover for almost every event, and it’s what councils and venues will ask for first. It protects you if a third party – an attendee, a passerby, a contractor – suffers personal injury or property damage as a result of your event, and you’re found legally responsible.

What councils require

Most local councils across Australia require a certificate of public liability insurance before they’ll approve a permit for a public event. The standard minimum in most jurisdictions is $10 million, and many councils – including the City of Melbourne, City of Greater Geelong, and Camden Council in NSW – specify a minimum of $20 million per claim.

As a general rule:

• Most councils require $10–$20 million in public liability cover
• The council will often need to be noted on your certificate of currency as an interested party
• Some councils may require higher cover for events with large crowds, amusement rides, or elevated risk activities

Always check with your local council before you apply for a permit. Requirements differ between LGAs, and some have event-specific conditions that go beyond the insurance minimums.

Venue requirements

If you’re hiring a private venue, they’ll typically set their own public liability requirements. Most venues require at least $10 million in cover and will ask for a certificate of currency before confirming your booking. A venue’s own insurance will not extend to your event – you need your own policy.

What it covers

A standard public liability policy for events typically covers:

• Personal injury to attendees, contractors, or bystanders
• Property damage caused by you or your event to a third party’s property
• Legal costs if you’re sued

It doesn’t cover injury to your own paid employees (that’s workers’ compensation) or your own property (that’s property or equipment insurance).

What does event cancellation insurance cover?

Event cancellation insurance covers your financial losses if your event has to be cancelled, postponed, or significantly reduced in scope due to circumstances outside your control.

Covered events typically include:

• Extreme or dangerous weather
• Venue becoming unavailable through no fault of your own
• Non-appearance of a key performer or speaker due to illness or emergency
• Power failures or infrastructure issues beyond your control
• Civil unrest or emergency declarations

What cancellation insurance doesn’t cover is equally important to understand. Policies will generally exclude:

• Cancellation due to poor ticket sales or lack of demand
• Organisational errors (forgetting to pay a deposit, missing a permit deadline)
• Communicable disease outbreaks, unless specifically endorsed
• Breach of contract between you and another party

If you’ve committed to significant non-refundable deposits – venue hire, catering, entertainment, AV equipment – cancellation insurance is worth serious consideration. The premium is usually a fraction of what you stand to lose.

Do I need insurance for event volunteers?

If your event relies on volunteers, you have a duty of care towards them even though they’re not paid employees. Workers’ compensation insurance, which covers paid staff, doesn’t automatically extend to volunteers.

Voluntary workers personal accident insurance covers volunteers who are injured while working at your event. It can provide lump sum payments and weekly benefits while a volunteer is unable to work as a result of an event-related injury.

Some states and territories have specific requirements around volunteer protection. In Victoria, for example, the Volunteer Protection Act provides some baseline protections for community volunteers, but these don’t replace the need for appropriate insurance cover. Check what applies in your state before your event.

Do I need insurance for event equipment and property?

If you’re hiring or owning equipment for your event – AV systems, staging, lighting rigs, marquees – you’ll want to confirm what happens if it’s damaged or stolen. Some hire companies require you to take out insurance as a condition of hire. Others include basic cover in the hire fee but with significant excess amounts.

On-hired equipment insurance covers physical loss or damage to equipment you’ve hired in. Property insurance covers equipment you own. If you’re borrowing equipment from another organisation, check whether their insurance covers it while it’s in your possession.

When is workers’ compensation insurance required?

If you’re employing paid staff to work at your event – even casuals hired for a single shift – workers’ compensation insurance is compulsory in all Australian states and territories. This applies even if the staff are employed through a labour hire agency; confirm who carries the workers’ compensation obligation before the event.

Workers’ compensation isn’t optional and it isn’t something to arrange at the last minute. If an employee is injured at an uninsured event, you can face serious legal and financial exposure.

What to do before you buy

Before contacting an insurer, get clear on the specifics of your event:

• Attendance numbers – small event cover typically applies to events under 1,000 people; large event cover for events above that threshold
• Event type – some activities attract higher premiums or exclusions (amusement rides, motorsport, events serving alcohol, events for under-18s)
• Venue – public land, private venue, or licensed premises each has different implications
• Contractors and performers – confirm their own insurance status; don’t assume their liability falls on your policy
• Council and venue requirements – get their minimum cover amounts in writing before you purchase

An insurance broker who specialises in events can help you compare policies across multiple insurers and ensure your cover matches your actual risk profile. Don’t rely on a generic business insurance policy for a public event – the exclusions often make it inadequate.

How can TryBooking help with my event?

Once your insurance is sorted, TryBooking’s event setup tools make it easy to manage registrations, collect attendee data, and stay across your numbers in the lead-up to the event. If your council or venue asks for attendee counts as part of the permit process, your TryBooking reports give you a real-time view of ticket sales across all ticket types.