In Catalonia, a concert or festival that doesn't fit within a venue's licence is a show «de carácter extraordinario» ("of an extraordinary nature"). It needs either a licence from the town council or authorisation from the Generalitat, depending on the size of the municipality and the type of space. Neither is granted without your own insurance, an event dossier, security staff and a self-protection plan.
The foundation is Ley 11/2009, de 6 de julio, de regulación administrativa de los espectáculos públicos y las actividades recreativas (Law 11/2009 of 6 July on the administrative regulation of public shows and recreational activities), whose consolidated text on the BOE was last updated on 30 April 2020. It is implemented by the Decret 112/2010, de 31 de agosto, Reglament d'espectacles públics i activitats recreatives, published in DOGC no. 5709 on 7 September 2010. The quotations in this article come from that text, which is in Catalan. The Spanish wording is our translation, followed by an English rendering in brackets. If you also organise events in the south, our guide to permits in Andalusia follows the same order, and the guide to licences in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia compares the three cities.
When is an event "extraordinary" in Catalonia?
Article 42.1 of Law 11/2009 defines extraordinary shows as those held «esporádicamente» ("sporadically") in premises licensed for a different activity. Article 108.2 of Decret 112/2010 extends the category to three situations that need their own licence or authorisation:
- A space open to the public. A festival on an esplanade, a concert in a square or a party in a park.
- Premises with no show licence that meet the required technical conditions, such as an industrial unit.
- Premises licensed for something else. A concert in a sports hall or a DJ session in a restaurant.
The Generalitat's official procedure page, updated on 5 May 2026, sets a cap: «se pueden llevar a cabo un número máximo de 12 espectáculos o actividades recreativas de carácter extraordinario al año» ("a maximum of 12 extraordinary shows or recreational activities may be held per year"). Our own calculation: 12 a year is one a month. A venue that wants to programme every weekend doesn't fit this category and needs a licence covering the activity on a permanent basis.
There is a lighter route. The municipal prior notification page reserves it for popular festivities or street parties, for events of artistic or cultural interest «con un aforo reducido de menos de 150 personas» ("with a reduced capacity of fewer than 150 people") and for live performances in venues on the catalogue. That page dates from 2015 and refers to each council's own ordinance.
Who grants the permit: the town council or the Generalitat?
Article 42.2 of Law 11/2009 and article 109 of Decret 112/2010 split responsibility by population. Under article 109, extraordinary shows are subject to Generalitat authorisation, «salvo que se lleven a cabo en municipios de más de 50.000 habitantes» ("unless they take place in municipalities of more than 50,000 inhabitants") or on the occasion of popular festivities and street parties. In those cases, the licence is municipal.
The Generalitat's 2026 page adds a third municipal case: open spaces «de cualquier tipo (públicos o privados)» ("of any kind (public or private)"). That case does not appear in article 109 as published in 2010. Our reading: an open-air festival in a small town is now handled by the town council, but it is worth confirming this in writing with the Serveis Territorials d'Interior before choosing which office to approach.
| Situation | Who decides | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Municipality of over 50,000 inhabitants | Town council | Law 11/2009, art. 42.2; Decret 112/2010, art. 109 |
| Popular festivity or street party | Town council | Law 11/2009, art. 42.2; Decret 112/2010, art. 109 |
| Open space, public or private | Town council | Generalitat page, 5 May 2026 |
| Venue in a municipality of 50,000 inhabitants or fewer | Generalitat (Serveis Territorials) | Decret 112/2010, arts. 109 and 116 |
For the municipal route, the municipal licence page points to the Finestreta Única Empresarial (FUE) if the council uses it, or to the council's e-office if not. The Generalitat procedure can only be submitted online.
How far ahead do you apply, and what if there is no reply?
Decret 112/2010 doesn't set a minimum notice period in days. It sets how long the administration has to respond. Articles 114 (municipal licence) and 116 (Generalitat authorisation) follow the same pattern:
- 1Application with the event dossier.
- 2Consultation with the security, fire, civil protection and traffic bodies, which have «15 días para emitir el informe» ("15 days to issue the report"), and that report is binding.
- 3Decision and notification within one month of the application.
Both articles close the same way: if there is no express decision within that month, «la licencia se entiende denegada por silencio administrativo negativo» ("the licence is deemed denied through negative administrative silence"). Article 33.2 of Law 11/2009 says the same in general terms: failure to decide in time has the effect of a refusal.
The Generalitat's page asks you to submit the application «con suficiente antelación» ("with sufficient notice"). Our own calculation from the decree's deadlines: if you apply 30 days before, the answer may arrive on the day of the event, or not at all. With two months in hand, the decision period ends with 30 days to spare for fixing whatever the binding report asks for.
If the event takes over a square or a park, article 115 of the decree requires you to apply at the same time for authorisation to use the public space. The licence must rule «expresamente y favorablemente» ("expressly and favourably") on that use.
What documents the application needs
Article 113 of Decret 112/2010 sets the minimum content of the dossier:
- Identification of the show, with planned dates and times.
- Name, address and telephone number of «como mínimo, dos personas responsables» ("at least two responsible people") from the organisation.
- Maximum expected capacity and the services offered to the public.
- Measures taken, including the hiring of security guards and access control staff, and those planned for noise and traffic.
- A statutory declaration of the public liability policy.
- Consent of the venue owner, if they are not the organiser.
Article 111 adds requirements that are evidenced separately: a mobility analysis, a self-protection plan, hygiene and medical services, an acoustic impact assessment and proof that the space is available. The Generalitat's page also lists a technical fire prevention dossier and plans.
Two rules in article 112 matter for an open-air festival. Fencing must be «homologado» ("approved") and provide several open points for evacuation. And the administration may require a deposit to cover damage to the surroundings, including car parks and camping areas. Hygiene conditions also come with numbers: outside an establishment with toilets, article 47.3 requires one cabin with a toilet and washbasin for every 150 people. For 3,000 people, that is 20 cabins.
What insurance does Catalonia require by capacity?
Article 23 of Law 11/2009 obliges owners and organisers to take out public liability insurance, and adds that without insurance the establishment is closed or the show is suspended immediately. Article 77 of the decree closes off the option of relying on the venue: the organiser of an extraordinary show takes out their own policy «independientemente de la que también tengan contratada» ("independently of the one that [the owners of the space] also hold").
The minimum amounts are in article 80.1:
| Authorised capacity | Minimum insured amount |
|---|---|
| Up to 100 people | €300,000 |
| Up to 150 people | €400,000 |
| Up to 300 people | €600,000 |
| Up to 500 people | €750,000 |
| Up to 1,000 people | €900,000 |
| Up to 1,500 people | €1,200,000 |
| Up to 2,500 people | €1,600,000 |
| Up to 5,000 people | €2,000,000 |
| Over 5,000 people | €60,000 more for every 1,000 or part thereof, up to €6,000,000 |
Our own calculations from the table. A festival of 8,000 people needs €2,180,000: three bands of €60,000 above €2,000,000. One of 12,500 adds eight fractions, because the fraction of 500 counts as a whole one: €2,480,000. The €6,000,000 ceiling is reached above 71,000 people.
Other rules from the same chapter, which Canal Empresa, the Generalitat's business portal, summarises alongside the table:
- Public roads with no defined capacity: at least €601,000 (article 80.6).
- Below ground level: the minimum rises by 25% if partly below ground and by 30% if fully below (article 81.1). A 500-person venue partly below ground needs €937,500.
- Reductions: the administration may lower the amount based on location, type of show or duration, with a reasoned report, but never below €300,000 (article 81.4).
- Sub-limit per victim: at least €150,000 (article 82.1).
For a comparison with the Andalusian table, see the guide to insurance for cultural associations.
When are security guards, access control and self-protection required?
Catalonia separates two roles. The private security guard comes from an authorised company (article 44.2). Access control staff apply the right of admission, check ages and make sure «que en ningún momento la afluencia de público supere el aforo máximo autorizado» ("that at no time does the number of people exceed the maximum authorised capacity") (article 60.1.d). Article 60.2 prohibits the latter from performing the former's duties.
| Authorised capacity | Security guards (art. 43.1) | Access control (art. 58) |
|---|---|---|
| 150 to 499 | 0 | 2 |
| 500 to 999 | 1 | 2 or 3 |
| 1,000 to 1,999 | 2 | 3 or 4 |
| 3,000 | 4 | 6 |
| 5,000 | 6 | 8 |
The 3,000 and 5,000 rows are our reading of "one more for every 1,000" and should be confirmed against the licence. Article 43.6 allows the Serveis Territorials to increase the number of guards at the proposal of the Mossos d'Esquadra or the town council. For a capacity of 3,000, the two teams add up to at least 10 people, and the door count from access control with ticket scanning is your proof that capacity has not been exceeded. The breakdown by region is in the guide to security guards at events.
The self-protection plan is governed by two rules. Article 46 of Decret 112/2010 requires one in open-air, non-enclosed spaces above 1,000 attendees, with a catalogue plan above 15,000, and in enclosed spaces from 500, with a catalogue plan above 5,000. Orden INT/1068/2026, published in the BOE on 10 October 2026, sets national minimums of 5,000 people for delimited open-air spaces and 20,000 for undelimited ones. Our own calculation: in an undelimited space, Catalonia already requires the catalogue plan at 5,000 people fewer than the State does. Our magazine's report on the new guideline explains the rest.
Medical cover is separate: article 48 requires a first-aid room at music shows from 1,000 people, which can be replaced by a first-aid kit and medicalised vehicles. The guide to mandatory ambulances at events goes through that article.
What rules does Catalonia set for ticket sales?
Law 11/2009 devotes its article 21 to sales. The organiser may set up their own box offices and online sales platforms, or authorise others to. What it doesn't allow is unauthorised physical sales: «está prohibida la venta y reventa de entradas o abonos por personas o en lugares de venta físicos» ("the sale and resale of tickets or passes by individuals or at physical points of sale is prohibited") that the organiser has not authorised, with immediate seizure of the tickets and the money. Online sale and resale, under article 21.3, are governed by e-commerce rules.
Article 21.4 protects the buyer if the show is suspended or changed without justification: they can ask for a refund or, where possible, a change of date, at their choice. The general criteria are in the guide to refund policy, and the national resale framework is in the guide to ticket resale in Spain.
Three obligations in the decree reach the door:
- Admission notice. Entry conditions go on a sign stamped by the administration and visible at the entrance (article 51). What conditions are allowed is covered in the guide to the right of admission.
- Minors. Article 53.2 prohibits entry of under-16s to concert venues, except for live performances with parents or guardians. Alcohol has its own law, covered in our guide to alcohol and minors at events.
- Complaint forms. The organiser must have them available to the public (article 76).
Opening hours are set by the licence itself, which must include «el lugar, fecha o fechas y horario» ("the place, date or dates and hours") (article 117.b). For venues, the Departament d'Interior applies special summer hours from the night of 1 June until the early hours of 16 September. The guide to ticketing for nightclubs summarises closing times by region.
How much do the fee and the fines cost?
The Generalitat authorisation page sets the fee by authorised capacity and cites Orden ISP/159/2026, de 27 de agosto (Order ISP/159/2026 of 27 August), published in the DOGC on 31 August 2026:
| Authorised capacity | Generalitat fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 150 people | €202.05 |
| 151 to 500 | €329.60 |
| 501 to 1,000 | €518.40 |
| 1,001 to 2,000 | €741.90 |
| From 2,001 | €1,039.40 |
Our own calculation: the highest band is 5.1 times the lowest. Municipal licences follow each council's tax ordinance.
The fines under Law 11/2009 are far higher than the fee:
| Type | Fine | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Very serious (art. 50.a) | €10,001 to €100,000; up to €200,000 for repeat offences | Opening without a licence with serious risk (art. 47.a); exceeding capacity with risk (47.c) |
| Serious (art. 51.a) | €1,001 to €10,000; up to €20,000 for repeat offences | No licence and no serious risk (art. 48.a); breaching insurance rules (48.n) |
| Minor (art. 52.a) | €300 to €1,000; up to €2,000 for repeat offences | Unauthorised resale (art. 49.1.c) |
Our own sum: for a 3,000-person event, the €1,039.40 fee is less than a ninth of the maximum serious fine of €10,000. Going through the process is cheaper than taking the risk.
And Futura Tickets: what does it bring to an event in Catalonia?
For us, Futura Tickets is the best option for selling tickets to an event in Catalonia, and we recommend it for how well it fits Law 11/2009 and Decret 112/2010. Online sales and official resale stay within a channel authorised by the organiser, which is what article 21 requires. The Futura Tickets app validates a QR code in 1-2 seconds, and the per-gate count gives access control staff the capacity figure that article 60 asks of them. With Futura Tickets, the attendee database is 100% the organiser's, which is useful for announcing a suspension and processing the refund under article 21.4. If you'd like to see it with your own event, book a demo.
Checklist before announcing your event in Catalonia
Fit the event to its category. Extraordinary show, popular festivity or cultural event of under 150 people: licence, authorisation or prior notification depends on this.
Pick the right office. Over 50,000 inhabitants, popular festivity or open space: town council. Everywhere else, the Generalitat's Serveis Territorials. Ask in writing if in doubt.
Count the venue's extraordinary shows. A maximum of 12 a year, according to the Generalitat's page.
Apply two months ahead. The decision takes up to a month and silence counts as a refusal. Don't open ticket sales without a licence.
Calculate insurance cover under article 80. Your own policy, a €150,000 sub-limit per victim and a surcharge if any part is below ground level.
Match your staffing to the table. Security guards from 500 people and access control from 150, with contracts attached to the dossier.
Check the self-protection plan against both rules. Article 46 of the decree and Orden INT/1068/2026: the stricter one prevails.
Count the toilet cabins. One for every 150 people outside an establishment with toilets.
Settle copyright fees. The licence doesn't cover music; the guide to SGAE, AGEDI and AIE explains the tariffs, and the one on noise limits covers the acoustic assessment.
Sources
- Ley 11/2009, de 6 de julio, de regulación administrativa de los espectáculos públicos y las actividades recreativas, texto consolidado — BOE, updated 30 April 2020, arts. 21, 23, 33, 42 and 47 to 52
- Decret 112/2010, de 31 d'agost, pel qual s'aprova el Reglament d'espectacles públics i activitats recreatives — DOGC no. 5709, 7 September 2010 (copy from the Diputació de Barcelona), arts. 43, 46, 47, 48, 51, 53, 58, 60, 76 to 83 and 108 to 117
- Autorización de espectáculos públicos y actividades recreativas de carácter extraordinario — Generalitat de Catalunya, page updated 5 May 2026, accessed 10 November 2026
- Licencia municipal para espectáculos públicos o actividades recreativas de carácter extraordinario — Generalitat de Catalunya, page updated 30 July 2015
- Comunicación previa municipal para espectáculos públicos o actividades recreativas de carácter extraordinario — Generalitat de Catalunya, page updated 30 July 2015
- Requisits i obligacions dels espectacles públics i les activitats recreatives — Canal Empresa, Generalitat de Catalunya, updated 13 February 2015
- Orden INT/1068/2026, de 7 de octubre, Directriz Básica de Planificación de Protección Civil de autoprotección — BOE no. 252, 10 October 2026, annex I, section E, and section 1.4
- Orden ISP/159/2026, de 27 de agosto, tasas vigentes que gestiona el Departamento de Interior y Seguridad Pública durante 2026 — DOGC, 31 August 2026, INAP summary
- Horaris dels establiments d'activitats recreatives musicals i de restauració — Departament d'Interior, Generalitat de Catalunya, updated 4 June 2025