Entertainment Licensing
Our objective is to provide a business-friendly and effective regulatory regime of various types of Places of Public Entertainment , Amusement Game Centers and Amusement Rides.
Places of Public Entertainment
Under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance, a person who keeps or uses any place of public entertainment is required to obtain a license. The purpose of the Ordinance is to ensure public safety and order at places of entertainment where members of the public congregate, including fire safety, building safety, electrical equipment, ventilation system, hygiene and crowd management.
And The types of entertainment include:
- A concert, opera, ballet, stage performance or other musical, dramatic, or theatrical entertainment
- A cinematograph or laser projection display
- A circus
- An exhibition of any one or more of the following, namely pictures, photographs, books, manuscripts, or other documents or other things
- A sporting exhibition or contest
- A bazaar
- An amusement ride within the meaning of the Amusement Rides (Safety) Ordinance
The licensing functions/duties are carried out by Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) under delegated authority from Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs. The objective is to ensure public safety regarding building, health/hygiene, fire and ventilation aspects, as well as law and order within the premises. Hence, all PPEs shall comply with the requirements set by FEHD in consultation with departments concerned such as the Buildings Department / Housing Department / Marine Department, Fire Services Department, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and Hong Kong Police Force.
Amusement Game Centers (AGCs)
There are two types of AGCs, namely the adult centers for person of the age 16 or above, and children centers for persons under the age of 16 and are licensed by the public officer appointed by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs.
Amusement Rides
The design, installation and operation of the amusement rides shall be approved by the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services (DEMS) under Amusement Rides (Safety) Ordinance.
Amusement rides generally refer to a power-driven device (except by human physical effort), which is connected to/used in connection with a machinery/equipment/plant, designed to be driven or ridden by member of the public primarily for amusement purposes.
