Music Venues and Sportsgrounds: Lighting
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what (a) statutory regulations and (b) safety guidance her Department has issued regarding the use of strobe and flashing lighting at live music and sporting venues to mitigate seizure risk for spectators with photosensitive epilepsy.
Answered by Ian Murray
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not issue regulations and guidance on the use of strobe flashing lighting, however event organisers and venue operators have duties under existing health and safety legislation to protect the public from risks associated with it.
Under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, dutyholders must conduct thorough risk assessments and ensure members of the public are not exposed to health risks.
To support compliance, comprehensive industry guidance is available in The Purple Guide (formerly the Health and Safety Executive’s Event Safety Guide), which outlines best practices for flicker rates, equipment positioning, and necessary audience warnings. Further guidance is available from the NHS, local authorities, and the Epilepsy Society.
It is standard good practice for venues and ticketing platforms to provide advance warning of strobe effects.
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