Round Table says it was willing to make major safety changes but could not secure the access controls needed to manage crowds at the harbour

TENBY’S Summer Spectaculars have been brought to an end after the licence allowing the popular charity events to take place at Tenby Harbour was revoked.

Tenby Round Table says it did not want to abandon the events and had spent hundreds of hours attempting to find a workable solution with Pembrokeshire County Council and the emergency services.

The volunteer organisation maintains that it was prepared to reduce crowd numbers, increase security and medical provision, introduce road closures and accept amendments to its licence.

However, organisers say they could not secure the legal powers needed to control the number of people entering the harbour and beach.

Without those controls, the Round Table says it could not guarantee the safety of those attending or accept responsibility for continuing to operate the event.

The premises licence was revoked following a meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee on Thursday, July 9.

The decision was confirmed after the committee concluded that the licensing objectives were not being adequately met, leaving significant concerns about crowd safety, emergency access and the protection of children from harm.

Evidence was considered from Dyfed-Powys Police, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, council officers and the event organisers.

Tenby Round Table said it disagreed with the final decision but respected the committee’s role and its overriding responsibility to protect public safety.

The group said: “We are sorry to announce that our licence to host the Summer Spectaculars in Tenby Harbour has been revoked for all future events.

“While we do not agree with the decision, we respect the Sub-Committee’s role and its overriding concern for the safety of those attending the events.

“Public safety is, and always has been, paramount to us and it was the reason we initially raised these concerns with PCC and Dyfed-Powys Police following the 2025 events.”

Access control at centre of dispute

The dispute centred on how organisers could control the number of people entering the harbour and adjoining beach during the events.

The Summer Spectaculars were free to attend, with visitors asked to make voluntary donations to support local charities and good causes.

Unlike a ticketed venue, the harbour remained accessible through several routes, including from the beach.

Organisers say this made it impossible to accurately control attendance once the area reached its safe capacity.

Tenby Round Table said: “Our position has been, and remains, that safe control of access to the harbour is fundamental to the safety of those attending the event.

“The management of crowd movement is at the heart of the police’s appeal against this licence.

“We believe that this control, when combined with road closures and the other measures we had already put in place, would have allowed these vital fundraising events to continue safely.”

The group said it had repeatedly drawn Pembrokeshire County Council’s attention to legislation which it believed could be used to control pedestrian access.

It claims the same legal framework has been used in Tenby during other large events to manage crowd movement on public footpaths.

However, the Round Table says the council’s Public Realm department repeatedly maintained that the legislation could not be used for the Summer Spectaculars.

Organisers said they obtained independent legal advice and raised the matter again during the licensing hearing.

They said the hearing was then suspended while the position was reconsidered.

The Round Table has pointed supporters towards the webcast of the hearing, saying the exchange can be viewed at approximately two hours, 16 minutes and 45 seconds into the recording.

The organisation said: “We continue to believe that the Summer Spectaculars can be run safely and successfully in Tenby Harbour, as they have been for almost 40 years.

“We were prepared to accept amendments to our licence to make this possible and to adapt the event to ensure it remains viable in the changing world we live in.

“We were happy to review crowd numbers, security, medical provision and road closures.

“All we needed in return was the ability to control the number of people accessing the harbour and beach so that we could be confident of everyone’s safety.”

Events cancelled before hearing

The problems surrounding the Summer Spectaculars had been developing for several months before the licence was revoked.

Two events had been planned for August 2026, continuing a tradition which had attracted thousands of residents and visitors to Tenby Harbour.

Following the 2025 events, organisers raised concerns about their ability to control crowds and began discussions with the council and emergency services.

The Round Table commissioned professional health and safety advice, attended multi-agency meetings and began preparing an updated Event Management Plan.

However, it said it could not complete the plan without a clear answer on how access to the harbour and beach could be restricted when the site reached capacity.

In June, Tenby Round Table provisionally cancelled both 2026 events.

At the time, the group said Pembrokeshire County Council’s Public Realm department had been given months to resolve the access issue but had failed to provide the legally grounded response required.

The council denied that it had ordered the cancellation and said it wanted the events to continue, provided the necessary safety arrangements could be agreed.

Despite further discussions, no agreement was reached before the licensing hearing.

Police raised serious safety concerns

During the hearing, Dyfed-Powys Police called for the premises licence to be revoked and warned that the event, in its existing format, presented a serious public safety risk.

The committee heard concerns about the size of the crowds attending, the possibility of a sudden crowd surge and the limited routes available for people to leave the harbour in an emergency.

Police said they were not opposed to the Summer Spectacular itself but believed its popularity and scale had outgrown the existing arrangements.

The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust raised concerns about access for ambulances and the ability of medical teams to reach casualties within a densely crowded harbour.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service also raised concerns about crowd numbers, uncontrolled attendance and access for emergency vehicles.

The committee was told that the working harbour environment, narrow access routes and unrestricted entry from the beach created significant difficulties for organisers and emergency services.

Tenby Round Table disputed some of the evidence and argued that it had not ignored the safety risks.

The group said it had identified the crowd-control problem itself and had spent much of the previous year asking for help to resolve it.

Its representatives maintained that the event could continue safely if a lawful method of controlling access was put in place.

Council says public safety must come first

Cllr Aaron Carey, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Licensing Service, said the authority took no satisfaction from the decision.

He acknowledged the disappointment it would cause to volunteers, charities, residents, businesses and the many visitors who valued the events.

He said: “Neither I nor Pembrokeshire County Council take any satisfaction whatsoever from this decision and I know this will be very disappointing news for the organisers, volunteers, charities and many people who value the Tenby Summer Spectacular.

“The Sub-Committee also recognises the longstanding charitable contribution of the event, its importance to the local economy and the significant funds it raises for local good causes.

“However, committee members concluded that public safety must always be the overriding consideration.”

Cllr Carey said the concerns presented by Dyfed-Powys Police were extremely powerful.

He also highlighted the concerns raised by the ambulance and fire services regarding emergency access, uncontrolled attendance and crowd numbers.

He said there was significant evidence that the event’s size and popularity meant it may have outgrown its current setting.

Cllr Carey added: “Public safety has to be paramount, particularly where an event involves large crowds in a working harbour environment and affects surrounding public spaces.

“However, the evidence presented by the Tenby Round Table was not sufficient to satisfy the committee that the licensing objectives relating to public safety and the protection of children from harm could be adequately promoted.”

The council said officers and partner agencies had met organisers on a number of occasions in the hope that the concerns could be mitigated.

It said it remained willing to work with the Round Table to explore how a sustainable and properly managed event might be delivered in the future.

Dyfed-Powys Police also recognised the fundraising work undertaken by Tenby Round Table and the importance of the event to the town.

A police spokesperson said the force had raised concerns surrounding public safety, the protection of children from harm and the prevention of crime and disorder.

The force said keeping communities safe had to remain its priority but that it was willing to work with organisers on a safe event in the future.

Round Table disputes prospect of harbour return

Although the council has spoken publicly about continuing discussions, Tenby Round Table says the position expressed during the hearing appeared to rule out a future Summer Spectacular at the harbour.

The group said: “While we welcome PCC’s comments in their press release about their willingness to work with us on future events, we must highlight their clear view in the Sub-Committee hearing was that any future event will not be taking place in Tenby Harbour.

“The offer to ‘continue working constructively’ is a welcome one, which we wish had been apparent throughout this process.”

The Round Table also rejected any suggestion that the dispute had been about increasing revenue or attempting to transfer responsibility to the local authority.

It said responsibility for the safety of those attending remained with the organisers and this was precisely why it would not proceed without effective access controls.

“This has never been about raising more money or shifting liability,” the organisation said.

“It has always been about our ability to host these fundraising events safely for our community and its visitors, as we alone bear the responsibility for those attending.

“We wish that PCC’s Public Realm department had been prepared to work with us to make that happen.”

Almost 40 years of fundraising

The Summer Spectaculars have been a major part of Tenby’s summer calendar for almost four decades.

The events traditionally brought live entertainment, charity stalls, food and drink to the harbour before ending with a fireworks display over the bay.

They attracted large numbers of residents and tourists into the town and provided a significant boost for local businesses.

The events also raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities, sports clubs, community organisations and local families facing difficult circumstances.

Their organisation required months of preparation by volunteers, supported by local performers, businesses, contractors and members of the public.

Tenby Round Table said it had now reached the point where its volunteers could no longer continue fighting to preserve the harbour events.

The group said: “As a group of volunteers who have already devoted hundreds of hours to fighting for these events this year alone, we feel we must now draw a line under the Summer Spectaculars in Tenby Harbour.”

One comment made during the hearing has particularly stayed with the organisers.

The Round Table said a member of the committee told them: “I think you’re just too good at the job.”

The organisation responded: “We simply wish we had been given the support to continue doing it.”

Thanking the public for decades of support, it added: “The hundreds of thousands of pounds that you have helped Tenby Round Table raise have been invaluable to so many local charities and good causes.

“We hope you cherish the memories as much as we have loved creating them.”

The licence decision means the Summer Spectacular cannot continue at Tenby Harbour under its previous arrangements.

A future event could only return if a new agreement, a different licensing arrangement or a substantially revised format could be secured.

For now, however, Tenby Round Table says it has been left with no realistic option but to bring almost 40 years of harbour spectaculars to a close.