Indoor and seated, or outdoor and standing
An indoor seated event is the lower-risk end of the scale. Outdoor sites with standing or dancing crowds move the premium up, and weather exposure affects cancellation pricing too.
EVENT INSURANCE
How Much Does Event Insurance Cost?
A 300-person seated dinner and a 10,000-person outdoor festival are not priced on the same scale. Here is how event insurance is priced, two real reference points from our own book, and the things that move the number.
~$1,400One real gala placement, $20M PL, incl. GST and stamp duty (not a quote)
~$4,700Staging business annual PL, not event cover
Sum insuredWhat cancellation is priced against
7Factors that move the price
Premiums and outcomes described are specific to this client and indicative only. Your own terms will depend on your circumstances and the insurer.
THE SHORT ANSWER
How much does event insurance cost in Australia?
Event insurance premiums vary widely, because every event is priced on its own crowd, activities, venue and claims history. Some simple single-day events can be covered for a few hundred dollars through online small-event products, which have eligibility limits and activity exclusions. Those are not Tank products. Events that need a tailored placement cost more, and for reference we placed $20 million public liability for a 500-guest charity gala at around $1,400 including GST and stamp duty. Event cancellation is priced against the sum insured, and minimum premiums apply. Crowd type, alcohol, claims history, security and the risk management plan move the number most.
The gala figure is a real Tank placement, anonymised and rounded up, and not a quote for your event. Your quote will itemise premium, fees, GST and stamp duty.
- Public liability
- Priced on crowd, activities and history
- Real reference point
- ~$1,400 incl. GST and stamp duty, 500-guest gala, $20M PL
- Cancellation
- Priced against the sum insured
- Your quote
- Itemises premium, fees, GST, stamp duty
Our events specialist
Shaneel Gounden
Account Executive
An indoor seated event with a clean loss history sits at the lower end of the market. Outdoor standing crowds, alcohol and prior claims push it up, and security and structures supplied by insured third-party contractors bring it back down.
Previously in the Entertainment and Sports team at Marsh, placing event liability, cancellation and prize cover, then in events at Aon.
General information only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the relevant PDS and TMD before deciding, and cover is subject to the policy terms.
| Event | How it is priced | Typical profile |
|---|---|---|
| Simple single-day events | Sometimes covered by online small-event products, which have eligibility limits and activity exclusions. Not Tank products | Low-risk functions where the product's exclusions do not bite |
| Tailored placements | Priced on the crowd, activities, alcohol and claims history | Community events, galas, concerts and public events that need a $20 million certificate |
| Largest or most complex events | Placed with specialist event markets and priced individually | Major festivals and large multi-day events |
Premiums vary widely from event to event. Some simple single-day events can be covered for a few hundred dollars through online small-event products, which have eligibility limits and activity exclusions. Those are not Tank products. Events that need a tailored placement are priced on their own details: the crowd, the activities, alcohol and the claims history.
In our events specialist's experience, the excess on event public liability is commonly around $500 to $1,000. Some policies apply a higher excess to alcohol-related claims.
The starting point is the sum insured: your irrecoverable costs, or your gross revenue if you insure expected profit too. The event type, an outdoor site and weather exposure, the extensions you add and any claims history then move the rate. Minimum premiums apply and are set by each insurer.
Insuring gross revenue rather than costs raises the sum insured, and so the premium. Insuring less than your true budget to save premium can backfire, because many wordings reduce the claim proportionately. See event cancellation insurance for how the basis and averaging work.
~$1,400 Charity gala, around 500 guests $20M PL, incl. GST and stamp duty, placed with specialist event markets
~$4,700 Event staging and pack-up crew Annual business PL renewal, placed after nine occupation declines
The gala was a not-for-profit charity foundation's one-evening fundraiser at a major Sydney venue. Serving alcohol and RSA were the venue's responsibility, not the foundation's. The staging crew is a different kind of risk: an existing Tank client's renewal for an event services business with eight staff, turnover of around $600,000 and one prior claim, under $10,000 paid and closed, insured on an annual basis rather than per event. Read the charity gala case study and the staging crew case study.
Alcohol
Acceptable with the right licence and responsible service of alcohol in place. It is commonly rated per bar staff member on top of the base premium, so the number of bars matters.
Claims history
Prior public liability claims for the event or the organiser push the price up, and can narrow the markets willing to quote. A clean history works in your favour.
Security and structures
Underwriters prefer security, and stages or temporary structures the venue does not supply, to be provided by third-party contractors carrying their own insurance. When they are, the risk looks better.
The risk management plan
Underwriters generally look closely at it on larger or public events. A strong plan with clear safety controls is one of the main ways to improve terms, and on harder events it can decide whether you get terms at all.
Event type
Some formats are rated higher by many insurers. Large rave-style events are an example: some insurers decline them, and others will consider them with strong risk management at higher rates.
Add-on endorsements
On cancellation, extensions such as terrorism, civil commotion and national mourning can carry an extra charge. Adverse weather and non-appearance are priced as their own sections.
Fees, GST and stamp duty. Your quote will itemise premium, fees, GST and stamp duty. Stamp duty varies by state.
Volunteers. Public liability does not cover injuries to your own volunteers. That needs voluntary workers personal accident cover, which is priced separately and matters most for associations that run on volunteers.
Your own property and equipment. Staging, sound, lighting, marquees and other equipment you own or hire are generally not covered by public liability or cancellation. They need their own cover. See dry hire insurance for the hire side.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Event Insurance Cost FAQs
Premiums vary widely from event to event. Some simple single-day events can be covered for a few hundred dollars through online small-event products, which have eligibility limits and activity exclusions. Those are not Tank products. Events that need a tailored placement are priced on their own details, and alcohol, an outdoor standing crowd, a prior claim or higher-risk activities move it up. Your quote will itemise premium, fees, GST and stamp duty. For reference, we placed $20 million public liability for a not-for-profit charity foundation's one-evening fundraiser gala at a major Sydney venue, around 500 guests, where two specialist markets quoted around $1,400 each, including GST and stamp duty.
It is priced against the sum insured, so the size of the budget and whether you insure costs or gross revenue set the starting point. The event type, an outdoor site, weather exposure, the extensions you add and any claims history then move the rate, and minimum premiums apply. Rates vary widely between events, so we price each one on its details rather than publish a figure.
Usually because of one or more of the drivers on this page: an outdoor standing crowd, several bars serving alcohol, a prior claim, security or structures without their own insurance, or a format insurers rate higher. A thin risk management plan can also cost you. Tell us what is in the quote and we can look at what is driving it.
Small, low-risk events are at the lower end of the market, and some online products price single-day events for a few hundred dollars. Check what those products exclude, because some rule out BYO alcohol, sport, camping, fire or private property. The cheapest policy is only useful if it covers what your event actually does.
Your quote will itemise premium, fees, GST and stamp duty. Public liability and cancellation also do not include voluntary workers personal accident for your volunteers, or cover for your own equipment and property, which are priced separately.
In our events specialist's experience, event public liability excesses are commonly around $500 to $1,000, and some policies carry a higher excess for alcohol-related claims. Any excess or deductible on event cancellation is set in the policy schedule and varies by insurer.
QUOTE REQUEST
Get an event insurance quote
Tell us the expected attendance, whether it is seated or standing, the turnover, whether alcohol is served and the venue. We will take it to specialist event markets and come back to you with the options available.
Specialist broker review Australian business insurance
Get a Real Number for Your Event
Every event is priced on its own details. Send us the details for your event, your crowd and your venue. We will take it to specialist event markets and come back to you with the options available.