How to get event work
Start with a role that hires a lot: right now that's hospitality and bar with 1,174 live jobs, catering and chefs with 580 live jobs, registration and front of house with 525 live jobs and stewarding and security with 227 live jobs. Then have your right-to-work documents ready, get the one certificate your role asks for, and set up job alerts so you can apply early, because 1,114 of today's 3,543 live jobs were posted in the last 7 days.
1 Start with the roles that hire most
Most event work is in a few roles. On Event Job Site today: Hospitality and bar (1,174), Catering and chefs (580), Registration and front of house (525), Stewarding and security (227). These take people without long experience, and once you've worked a few events it's easier to move into supervising, production or technical roles.
2 Have your right-to-work documents ready
In the UK every employer has to check your right to work before you start. British and Irish citizens use a passport; most other people use a share code from GOV.UK. (Source: GOV.UK, Prove your right to work to an employer) Having it ready means you can start the same week.
3 Get the one certificate your role asks for
- Security: stewarding (directing people, checking tickets) needs no licence, but refusing entry or removing people needs an SIA licence. (Source: GOV.UK, Check if you need an SIA licence to work at an event)
- Food: food businesses must train their staff in food hygiene, so a Level 2 food hygiene certificate gets you hired faster. (Source: GOV.UK, Running a food business, your responsibilities)
- Bars: a personal licence lets you authorise alcohol sales and run a bar; bar supervisor and manager jobs often ask for one. (Source: GOV.UK, Alcohol licensing)
You can add your certificates to your profile so employers see them when you apply.
4 Check the pay before you apply
1,429 of 3,543 live jobs (40%) list pay. Our event staff pay guide shows what's typical by role and place, so you know a fair rate when you see one.
5 Apply early, and be available
Event jobs fill fast, because events have fixed dates. 1,114 of today's jobs were posted in the last 7 days. Create a free profile and set a job alert for your role and city, and we'll email you new jobs each morning. Evenings and weekends are when most events happen, so say clearly which days you can do.
6 Go where the employers are
The employers with the most live jobs right now are Legends Global (ASM Global) with 1,462, Oak View Group with 1,006, Live Nation with 853, AEG with 72 and Fever with 68. Venue operators and caterers hire for many events at once, so one good first shift can lead to regular work.
How we worked this out
We used every live job on Event Job Site: 3,543 jobs today, most of them listed from the employers' own careers pages and the rest posted with us directly. 1,429 of them list pay, 1,415 as an hourly rate.
Pay figures use hourly rates only, in the currency the employer gives. Where a job gives a range, we use the lower figure. We show the median (half of jobs pay more, half less) and the middle half of rates, so one unusual listing can't skew the picture. A role or place is shown only when at least 10 jobs list an hourly rate; smaller groups are left out rather than guessed.
The figures refresh from live jobs as employers post and close jobs. The "Figures updated" date at the top is when a figure last changed.
Questions people ask
Do I need experience to get event work?
Not for most entry roles. Bar, catering assistant, registration, stewarding and general event staff jobs regularly take people new to events. Hospitality and bar alone has 1,174 live jobs right now.
Do I need an SIA licence to work at events?
Only for security work. In the UK, stewarding such as directing people and checking tickets doesn't need a licence; refusing entry or removing people does (a door supervisor or security guard licence, depending on the venue).
Do I have to pay to use Event Job Site?
No. Workers never pay to use the site or to apply.