Event planning

A street festival is an event that usually takes place in a public area. For this you need the official permit "Special use of roads".

If you are planning a private event, you will find an overview of possible rooms above. Once you have decided on a room, please use the reservation request form for the event rooms. To ensure that your event runs smoothly, please submit your reservation request as early as possible, ideally as soon as the event date has been set.

If you are planning a public event, you will generally need a permit from the authorities. If your event is taking place indoors or outside public areas (e.g. gardens), please contact the public order office.
If you are planning your event in public areas, you will find some possible event areas above.
All information and the corresponding application can be found in the service portal. Please submit the application with the required documents to the City of Hilden Public Order Office at least 3 months before the start of the event. For smaller events, such as street/neighborhood festivals, the submission deadline is 1 month before the start of the event.

As soon as an organizer submits an application for an event in the city of Hilden, all necessary permits that are the responsibility of the city are checked. The application is forwarded to the various departments, which each assess their specific areas (such as music or the serving of drinks).

The review is carried out centrally, which means that the application only has to be submitted once and all city departments involved review it internally. If all requirements are met, approval is granted.

Important: The City of Hilden only processes permits for which it is responsible. If further permits are required from other authorities or institutions (e.g. GEMA, the district of Mettmann or the state forestry authority), these must be applied for separately from the respective authorities.

In order to be able to serve alcoholic beverages at your public event, you must apply for a corresponding permit from the public order office.

If you would like to play music at a public event, whether from a recording or live, you must submit an application. Once submitted, the application will be reviewed. The event with music may only take place once the application has been approved. It is important to submit the application in good time before the event to avoid delays.

As a rule, GEMA fees must be paid; this must be applied for separately from GEMA.

A special use permit from the regulatory authority is required for the use of public areas for street music.

In principle, Stadtwerke Hilden is responsible for the electricity and water supply. There are numerous connections in Hilden's city center that can be made accessible if necessary. Whether this is possible for your event must be checked on a case-by-case basis.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, Sundays and public holidays are legally protected by the NRW Public Holidays Act in order to preserve the peace and quiet of public holidays and the special character of these days. The so-called "quiet holidays", such as Good Friday, All Saints' Day, Remembrance Day and the Sunday of the Dead, are particularly sensitive and are subject to strict restrictions.

Responsibility for approvals

In the district of Mettmann, the district administration is generally responsible for exceptions on Sundays and public holidays. In the case of "public holidays", however, only the district government is the responsible approval authority.

Regulations for individual public holidays:

Good Friday: The following events are prohibited between 6:00 a.m. on Good Friday and 6:00 a.m. on Holy Saturday:

• Markets and commercial exhibitions,
• Sports events,
• Circus and folk festivals,
• Gaming arcades, betting shops and casinos,
• Leisure facilities with dance or artistic performances,
• musical and entertaining performances in restaurants and adjoining rooms with bar service,
• all private and public entertainment events outside of homes,
• Film screenings that are not recognized as Good Friday-compliant,
• Theater, musical performances and lectures without a serious character.

Maundy Thursday: Public dancing is prohibited from 18:00.

All Saints' Day (November 1): The following bans apply from 05:00 to 18:00:

• Markets and commercial exhibitions,
• Sports events,
• Circus and folk festivals,
• Gaming arcades, betting shops and casinos,
• Leisure facilities with dance or artistic performances,
• musical and entertainment events in restaurants and adjoining rooms with bar service.

Remembrance Day: The same restrictions apply from 5:00 am to 1:00 pm as on All Saints' Day, with an extended ban on dancing until 6:00 pm.

Sunday of the Dead: The above bans apply from 05:00 to 18:00.

Christmas Eve: The following events are prohibited from 16:00:

• Public gatherings in the open air that are not related to religious services,
• Markets, commercial exhibitions,
• Sports events,
• Circus and folk festivals,
• Gaming arcades, betting shops and casinos,
• Leisure facilities with dance or artistic performances,
• musical and entertainment events in restaurants and adjoining rooms with bar service.

Easter Monday, Whit Monday and Boxing Day: On these public holidays, the sale of flowers, newspapers and baked goods, as is permitted on other Sundays and public holidays, is not permitted.

Special consideration

For other events that do not fall under the above-mentioned bans, it is recommended that the meaning of the respective holiday be respected and that consideration be given to the special significance of the day.

The organizer is responsible for the safety of the participants. As part of the application, the organizer confirms that liability insurance has been taken out and encloses the corresponding proof.

Depending on the expected number of participants, a fire safety guard may also be required indoors and a first-aid service outdoors. The responsible employees will inform you about this when you submit your application.

If the number of participants is 5,000 or more, the submission of a security concept is also mandatory.