Event cancellation typically stems from adverse weather or the non-appearance of artists and key personnel.
However, stakeholders within the entertainment industry must also recognize the threat of political violence to live productions – particularly as the methods of threat actors evolve.
Robust risk mitigation of violence at live events requires a holistic approach from all parties. Close collaboration and understanding of all contingencies and protections is critical to ensuring the safety of performers and spectators, alike.
Terrorism: an evolving threat landscape
Terrorism methodology has changed. Large scale attacks by highly organized and sophisticated groups, with clear political or ideological intent, have gradually been replaced by lone-wolf attacks on ‘softer’ targets.
Labelled as ‘independently radicalized extremism’, threat actors are increasingly likely to target vulnerable members of the public, rather than conducting large scale attacks on property or infrastructure.
Key examples of this development include the suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, UK, in 2017, and a lone gunman firing at Route 91 Harvest music festival attendees in Las Vegas, also in 2017. In more recent years, terror threats caused the cancellation of the Austrian leg of Taylor Swift’s worldwide tour in 2024.
To further complicate the risk landscape, an increasingly febrile political atmosphere across the world is resulting in more malicious actors resorting to violence. As heightened political polarization interacts with other risk drivers, such as economic volatility, online mobilization, and geopolitical shocks, attacks can increase in both frequency and unpredictability.
For example, in France’s 2023 riots, authorities stated social platforms accelerated mobilization and diffusion across cities – illustrating how online coordination can amplify street level volatility. Additionally, the FBI revealed the assailant behind the vehicle ramming attack in New Orleans on 1 January 2025 had researched the 2024 Magdeburg, Germany, Christmas Market ramming hours before the attack.
These developments necessitate those involved with live events to become more vigilant, and strengthen their contingency planning.
How does the threat landscape vary by region?
Terrorism threats vary significantly by both continent and nation. The following list explores these differences and why risk management should vary by region:
Europe – Across Europe, the threat environment has shifted toward lower-complexity, opportunistic attacks carried out via easily accessible and rudimental weapons. In the UK, mass stabbing events in public locations have risen, often targeting crowded, open environments where security screening is limited. While in Germany and France, vehicle ramming attacks have increased in occurrence.
US – In the US, active assailant style attacks remain the greatest threat. For some concerts, attendees may be armed and trying to emulate ‘fringe cultures’, which can easily culminate in attacks. Additionally, similarly to continental Europe, vehicle ramming attacks in urban environments are also growing, such as the New Orleans (opens a new window) attack in January 2025.
LATAM – Rather than ideologically driven terrorism, political volatility and civil unrest often pose a greater risk to live events in LATAM. Elections and economic stability can result in protests that may escalate rapidly. For some nations, organized criminal groups represent a serious risk to high-profile public gatherings – particularly where central governments are struggling to resolve territorial disputes, or cartel activity.
Asia – On a continent as diverse as Asia, the threat landscape varies significantly by country. In South Asia and Southeast Asia, some nations contend with a persistent terror threat from groups linked to religious extremism, insurgency, and separatism. Groups possessing these motivations have displayed a growing tendency to target members of the general public.
Best practice: developing a holistic, combined effort
To help combat the evolving risk landscape, all stakeholders need to recognize their shared duty of care. The safety of all performers and attendees is a shared responsibility at any live event, and each party may be held liable in the event of an act of violence.
Promoters, artists, venue owners, and security teams should seek cross-party collaboration and ongoing education to understand specific and emerging threats, depending on the event. Sharing intelligence and best practices is an important way to achieve this.
Vendor selection is crucial from a safety perspective; choosing a cheaper provider without assessing competence, service polices, screening processes, safety standards, and insurance coverage can invite risk.
If an incident of violence was to occur, all stakeholders are vulnerable to significant liability and reputational damage. A perceived failure in duty of care can have long-term consequences for careers and future earnings – making it essential to carry out thorough due diligence on all involved parties.
Insurance considerations
Traditionally, casualty insurance policies would have provided cover for political violence at live events. However, simply purchasing casualty cover ‘off the shelf’ may no longer be sufficient – stakeholders must consider if policy terms respond appropriately to address evolving violence-related risks.
While casualty policies would have generally provided silent coverage on active assailant incidents, some insurers are now moving to introduce specific exclusions. Furthermore, assault and battery exclusions are also commonplace, and if incidents do not involve a weapon, the situation becomes more complex from both a legal and coverage perspective.
Those involved with live events must investigate if their coverage explicitly responds to political violence, and if not, where does protection sit, and what options are available if there is no cover? Beyond active assailant and assault and battery exclusions, carve out coverage could also be required for sexual molestation liability, human trafficking, and liquor liability.
For international tours or events held across multiple jurisdictions, cover may be available on a global basis. However, separate standalone coverage may be necessary to mitigate certain risks at a local level, especially in highly litigious environments - reinforcing the need for clear contractual allocation of risk, and specialist insurance advice. It is important to be vigilant and aware of exclusions and how these could apply to the Insured should a claim be brought against you, whether your organization is liable are not.
Insurance can offer more than financial recourse. If an incident occurred, crisis consultancy can support your response, and negotiation services can even be utilized if a hostage scenario emerges. Post-event, coverage will provide support with ensuing litigation, media assistance for brand rehabilitation, and help dealing with victims, families, and personnel who may have suffered during an incident.
Taking action
With decades of combined experience in Lloyd’s markets, Lockton’s Entertainment Practice brings expert knowledge and robust relationships with specialized insurers. Providing a ‘one-stop shop’ for all forms of entertainment insurance, we help secure the most appropriate policies to your risk profile.
For further information on how you can protect your live event, please reach out to a member of the Entertainment practice here. (opens a new window)
