What we class as an event
For the purposes of Oxford City Council’s Events Team, an event is defined as:
“Any pre-planned or organised activity designed and promoted to attract a gathering of over 50 people: consumers, participants and / or spectators”.
It does not therefore include any informal leisure activity that that would normally take place in a park such as a casual sporting activity, group picnic or flying model planes. However such activities would become chargeable events if they require additional infrastructure, facilities or equipment to be supplied or approved by us.
Below is a list of events in Parks and other Open Spaces that would require approval from us. The list is not exhaustive and ultimately a decision on the status of any activity will rest with us.
- Art exhibition / display / installation
- Children's birthday parties
- Carnival
- Commercial leisure installation such as balloon ride, ice rink etc.
- Circus
- Charity Collections, Fundraising, Roadshows
- Cycling event
- Dance event
- Dog Show
- Drone flights
- Festival / Fun-Days
- Flower or horticultural show
- Funfair
- Faith event
- Filming & photo-shoots
- Firework display
- Food market / festival
- Helicopter landings
- Market bookings
- Mela
- Musical concert or performance
- Orienteering
- Outdoor theatre & cinema
- Procession
- Promotional activities - stalls, vehicles etc.
- Regatta
- School activity days
- Sports Tournaments (over a certain size)
- Sponsored walks & runs & bike-rides
- Vehicle rally / displays
