Ministry of Culture proposes amendments to public event safety law due to emergency alerts

The Ministry of Culture (MC) has drafted changes to the Law on Safety of Public Entertainment and Festive Events. The amendments stipulate that the organizer of a public event must either not start or interrupt the event after receiving an early warning message. Additionally, the amendments define scenarios in which the organizer is not obliged to refund the full ticket price.

The goal of these new rules is to enhance public safety by aligning event operations with the national early warning system. Current legislation does not clearly dictate actions when a warning about potential threats is issued. The MC believes that this lack of regulation may cause confusion among organizers and jeopardize participant safety.

The proposals are expected to be submitted to the government and then to the Saeima for approval. If adopted, organizers will need to update their contingency plans and develop clearer refund policies for cases where events are canceled or interrupted due to safety concerns. The Ministry of Culture invites the public and industry representatives to provide feedback and suggestions on the proposed changes.