Yes, unless exempted, a public entertainment or arts entertainment licence is required under the Public Entertainments & Meetings Act for any entertainment that is provided in any place to which the public or any class of public has access, whether gratuitously or otherwise.

PE Establishment Licence

The common establishments that may require a PE licence are:

• Nightspots such as bar, cabaret / nightclub, café, discotheque, KTV lounge, lounge, pub, restaurant or snack bar;
• Amusement centre
• Billiard saloon
• Computer games centre
• Shop operating crane / game machines

PE Ad-hoc Licence

The following is a list of commonly held public entertainments that may require an ad-hoc licence:

• Acrobatic or gymnastic show
• Beauty pageant or fashion show (other than those exempted)
• Boxing or wrestling
• Circus
• Computer games
• Demonstration of art & craft, culture or sports (other than those exempted)
• Game machine / pin table (other than those exempted)
• Games of skill (other than those exempted)
• Karaoke
• Magic shows (other than those exempted)
• Performance of music, singing or dancing or variety act (other than arts entertainment and those exempted)
• Public talks (other than those exempted)
• Transmission of recorded music (other than those exempted)

Please refer to the 'Exempted Activities' section for the detailed list of activities that do not require a licence.

You must be a fit and proper person e.g. free from criminal records. Please refer to the guidelines and conditions sections of each specific licence for other detailed criteria that you need to fulfill and the licensing conditions that you need to adhere to.

You will need to submit supporting documents for the following applications:

• Amusement centre – a list of proposed amusement rides and game machines, stating the name, description, no. of unit(s) and the floor area occupied by each ride / game machine.
• Computer games centre – a list of computers and the floor area occupied by each computer game.

For PE establishment licence, the licence fee is dependent on the type of entertainment and the permitted hours of operation. Please refer to the Fees Schedule for the list of licence fees. The licence for a PE establishment is normally issued for 1 year.

For PE ad- hoc licence, the licence fee depends on the duration of the licence. The rates are $20 per day or $40 per 7 days, consecutive or otherwise.

The normal processing time is about 7 working days from the receipt of the application and the necessary supporting documents.

Please submit a completed application form via the electronic service provided at https://licences.business.gov.sg

If you are holding an adhoc licence, you cannot apply for an extension of operating hours. If you wish to extend the hours of operation, you will have to re-apply for a fresh licence.

If you are holding an establishment licence, you can apply for an extension of operating hours. Please note that for Type A and Type B establishment licences (please refer to the Fees Schedule), you are automatically granted an extension of 1 hour on every Sunday and Public Holiday i.e. up to 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. respectively, unless stated otherwise in the licence by the Licensing Officer.

You will need to apply for public entertainment ad-hoc licence for the seminar from the Police and the arts entertainment licence from the Media Development Authority (MDA) for the cultural shows, if both are not exempted.

You do not need to apply for a licence if the wedding dinner or celebration is only for your invited guests and it is held in a room or hall where members of public are excluded. However, if the dinner or celebration is held in an area which is accessible to members of the public, an arts entertainment licence from MDA may be required. For more information, please visit MDA website at http://www.mda.gov.sg

You do not need a PE licence if the talk is given by a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore and is in connection with religious services or rites conducted within the temple or church. If the talk is given by a foreigner, a PE licence is required. In addition, the foreign speaker may require a Professional Visit Pass (PVP) from the Immigration Checkpoint Authority (ICA). For more information on PVP, please visit ICA website at http://app.ica.gov.sg/serv_visitor/index.asp or contact ICA at 6391 6100.

For all PE activities that you organise, please ensure that you obtain advertisement licence from the Commissioner of Building Control & Construction Authority (BCA) before you display any banner or poster.

For more information, please contact BCA at:
Advertisement Licensing Section BCA 5
Maxwell Road #02-01 Tower Block
MND Complex
Singapore 069100
Tel: 6325 7379
Fax: 6325 7150

Website: http://www.bca.gov.sg

You can contact us at the following numbers:

Licensing Div Hotline: 6835 0000
Service Support Officer: 6557 5818 / 6557 5819 / 6557 5832