This year a range of events and initiatives will take place to mark the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort, culminating in a three-day UK bank holiday weekend in May.
The BBC is offering local communities a one-off TV Licence dispensation covering 6-7 May to enable them to enjoy the Coronation on Saturday 6 May and the Coronation Concert on Sunday 7 May. Both events will be broadcast live on the BBC.
The dispensation will allow those celebrating by arranging community events in venues and outside spaces, where TV is not usually watched, to screen the live programmes throughout the weekend without needing to purchase a licence. This includes, for example, community venues such as churches, town halls, community centres, libraries and streets across Britain as well as commercial premises acting as community venues such as concert halls, performing arts venues, cinemas and shops. It also applies to any outdoor venues which have the facilities to screen.
BBC coverage should be free to watch, so community organisers must not charge anyone for the viewing. Even if the screening is taking place at a venue which normally has a commercial purpose, organisers must not charge for tickets, and the public should be allowed to bring their own food and drink.
The BBC can grant a dispensation of the TV Licence fee for the temporary viewing of television, so long as the viewing is for the sole purpose of screening an event which is judged by the BBC to be of national importance. The BBC considers that the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort is such an event.
Aside from one-off dispensations, a TV licence is needed by law to watch or record live TV, on any device including a laptop, tablet or mobile phone. You need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record live TV programmes on any channel or device, and to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer.
Venues and community groups requiring additional information can also visit the BBC website.