The Licensing Sub Committee Hearing Panel of Manchester Council met on Friday 12 June 2026 to consider two Temporary Event Notices (TENs) for events planned during the August Bank Holiday weekend. Both notices, submitted for Red Light Bar and Velvet, had received objections from Greater Manchester Police and other council departments, raising concerns about public safety and potential breaches of licensing objectives.

Temporary Event Notice for Red Light Bar, 2 Little David Street, Manchester, M1 3GA

The panel was scheduled to consider a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) for Red Light Bar, located at 2 Little David Street, Manchester, M1 3GA, for a Gay Pride street party. The event was planned to run from 3pm to 10pm on the street, with a party continuing inside the bar until 2am. The capacity was stated as 250 people, with security staff to monitor numbers.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) submitted an objection notice, citing concerns regarding public safety. Their objection focused on the proximity of the event to the contemporaneous Pride event and potential issues with emergency service access. GMP sought clarification on security arrangements, specifically the ability to quickly move barriers in the event of an emergency. The report indicated that the premises user, Deana Ferguson, had stated that steel barriers provided by Kampus, which are easy to move and manned by SIA staff, would be used.

Temporary Event Notice for Velvet, 2 Canal Street, Manchester, M1 3HE

The panel was also scheduled to review a TEN for Velvet, located at 2 Canal Street, Manchester, M1 3HE, for an event during the August Bank Holiday weekend. The proposed event included outside entertainment via DJs and two paid bars serving alcohol and soft drinks, with an attendance of 200 people.

Objections were received from both the Licensing and Out of Hours Compliance Team (LOOH) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP). The LOOH team objected on the grounds that all four licensing objectives were likely to be undermined. Their concerns included a lack of prior consultation with the new Pride event organisers, Manchester Village Pride CIC, and insufficient detail on how the event would be managed, including security, crowd control, noise management, and dispersal plans. They also noted a previous incident in August 2025 where alcohol sales continued after being instructed to cease.

GMP's objection centred on the requested operating times for the TEN, which they stated were outside the pre-agreed event times for Manchester Pride and could contravene the Public Space Protection Order¹ in place in Manchester City Centre. GMP also raised concerns about the lack of confirmation regarding the use of SIA registered security staff, CCTV, and plastic drinking vessels, as well as the dimensions of any outdoor bars or DJ booths. GMP indicated they would withdraw their objection if the premises user, Kim Krohn, confirmed the use of plastic drinking vessels and amended the timings to conform to the pre-agreed event schedule.