Organising a Street Party

Street Parties are events that groups of residents get together to arrange for their neighbours.

Street Parties are events that groups of residents get together to arrange for their neighbours. Street parties are a traditional part of community life. They are a simple way for us to get to know our neighbours and meet members of our community.

The main differences between a street party and public events are below.

Street parties

  • are for residents/neighbours only
  • are advertised only to residents
  • are in a quiet residential road or street
  • are self-organised
  • do not normally require insurance, but is it recommended, particularly where a road closure is required
  • do not normally need a formal risk assessment, but one may be requested where a road closure is required
  • do not normally require licences if music is incidental and no selling of alcohol is involved*

Public events

  • can be attended by anyone
  • are advertised widely (such as newspapers)
  • are held in buildings, parks, for example
  • are professionally organised
  • require insurance
  • require a risk assessment
  • usually require a licence

How to organise a street party

Organising small, private street parties is very simple and generally does not include activities that need a licence, such as selling alcohol or providing certain types of entertainment. The number one tip for holding a party is to plan early, think about what you want to achieve and get in touch with us as soon as possible. 

More helpful tips, advice and support for organising a successful event can be found at:

For more information about health and safety and food safety, please see the links and resources here.

If you want to have a pay bar or intend to provide entertainment to the wider public, or charge to raise money for your event, you will need a Temporary Events Notice.

If you would like to hold a street party, you may need to apply for a road closure to ensure that traffic does not interfere with your street party. If you are planning on obstructing the road or pavement with tables, chairs or people, then you will need to ensure that the road is closed to traffic.

What to do next

If you want to hold a street party that requires a road closure, the deadline for submitting a road closure application is at least 12 weeks before the event. 

Apply to hold a street party

We'll need to know: 

  • the date and time of the party
  • whether you want the road closed or not
  • whether the road is part of a bus route
  • your contact details

You can find helpful advice on how to complete your application and keep your event safe by downloading our street party:

You can return your completed form to us at temporaryroadclosure@solihull.gov.uk.