Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro sets new rules to authorize events in the city

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In practice, the rules apply to the granting of permits for events in Rio, whenever the City Hall’s Scientific Committee approves them – which advises on decision-making in the fight against Covid-19.

The events decree was published today in the city’s Official Gazette. The Under-Secretariat for the Promotion of Events (SUBPEV), under the Municipal Government Secretariat and Public Integrity (SEGOVI), coordinated the drafting of the new licensing, the City Hall also reported.

In the changes, two new types of permits will be created. One is the Express Permit, specific for minimum size events, based on self-declarations, and the other is the Simplified Permit, designed for small, medium, large, and mega events, which will not need the Fire Department permit to be issued.

There will also be a new event classification, according to the expected audience, which will allow the collection of more accurate data about the sector for public management. The categories are: minimum of up to 300 people; small, up to two thousand people; medium, up to 10,000 people; large, up to 50,000 people, and mega-event, over 50,000 people.

According to the new rules, to hold events in the city, promoters must access the Carioca Digital website, in the Rio Mais Fácil Events system, to submit requests for permits. The website provides the new general rules, definition of administrative deadlines, the option to pay the fees in advance, among other topics of interest related to the subject.

Also according to the City Hall, SUBPEV will be in charge of monitoring the city’s event calendar and of forwarding the Previous Consultations (CPE) to the competent bodies. The Secretariat of Public Order (SEOP) will remain the centralizing, supervising, and final issuer of the Temporary Permit, the Rio de Janeiro city administration also said.

The City Hall recalled that the events sector was one of the most affected by the pandemic, with estimated losses of R$90 (US$17) billion for the country, according to the municipal agency’s estimates. In the state of Rio, events moved approximately R$14 billion and generated 170,000 jobs in 2019 alone, according to the city government’s figures.

The new decree on the subject will come into force 30 days after publication in the city’s Official Gazette.