What to Know About Liquor Licensing for Your Event Bar

Liquor licensing is one of those things that sounds complicated until someone explains it properly, so here's the short version of what it means for your event.

In Queensland, any event where alcohol is sold, or where it's supplied as part of a paid ticket or package, generally needs some form of liquor licence or permit. Private events where you're supplying your own alcohol to your own guests for free are a different story, and often don't need one at all. Where it gets more involved is weddings, ticketed functions, markets, and festivals, particularly if there's any exchange of money for drinks, directly or indirectly.

This is where our own liquor licence makes life a lot easier for you. When you book one of our event packages, we handle the licensing side of things as part of the service. That includes making sure the right permits are in place for your specific event type and location, and that our staff are appropriately RSA qualified to serve responsibly. You don't need to become an expert in Queensland liquor law, we've already done that part.

If you've gone the dry hire route instead, licensing responsibility sits with you. That's completely manageable, it just means checking what applies to your specific event with your local council or Queensland's Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation, and making sure whoever is pouring drinks holds a valid RSA if it's a licensed event.

A few questions worth asking yourself early: Is this a private event or a public/ticketed one? Is money changing hands for drinks in any way, including through a ticket price that includes alcohol? Will there be more than a small number of guests? The bigger and more public the event, the more likely you'll need proper licensing in place, and the earlier you sort it, the smoother your planning goes.

The easiest way to avoid the paperwork altogether is to book one of our fully licensed event packages and let us worry about the compliance side while you focus on the guest list.

Ask us about licensing for your event when you enquire below.