Event Insurance: Protecting Your Party, Reunion, or Big Event (2025)
Coworker threw a big 50th birthday party for his wife at a rented event space. 80 guests, open bar, dancing. Great time until someone slipped on the dance floor and broke their wrist. Then it got complicated.
The venue had insurance but it covered the building, not his event. His homeowners policy insurance didn’t cover it because it wasn’t at his home. He was potentially personally liable for someone’s medical bills because they fell at his party.
Event insurance would have covered it. He didn’t have it. Most people don’t even know it exists.
What event insurance is
Short-term liability coverage coverage for specific events. Protects you if someone gets hurt or property gets damaged at your event. Also sometimes covers cancellation if you have to call off the event for covered reasons.
Works for private parties, family reunions, birthday celebrations, graduation parties, anniversary events—basically any gathering you’re hosting that has some risk of things going wrong.
Usually bought for the specific event and covers just that day or weekend.
Why venues require it
Lots of rental venues—hotels, country clubs, event spaces, parks—require you to have event liability insurance before they’ll let you book. Protects them. If something happens at your event, they want to know you’re insured so they don’t get dragged into lawsuits.
Typical requirement is $1 million in liability coverage with the venue listed as additional insured.
Even if venue doesn’t require it, having coverage protects you. Your assets are on the line if someone sues over an injury at your event.
What it covers
Bodily injury liability. Guest gets hurt at your event. Medical bills, legal defense if they sue. The dance floor slip situation.
Property damage liability. Your event damages the venue or someone’s property. Guest knocks over expensive artwork. Caterer damages kitchen equipment.
Host liquor liability. If alcohol is served and something happens as a result. Important because alcohol increases risk of injuries and incidents.
Cancellation coverage (if you add it). Have to cancel for covered reasons—weather, venue closure, illness. Get refunded for deposits and prepaid expenses.
What it costs
Usually $75-300 for a single event. Depends on guest count, whether alcohol is served, event type, coverage amount.
Small house party might be $75. Big party with open bar for 150 guests might be $200-300. Still cheap relative to potential liability exposure.
When to consider it
Venue requires it. Then you need it to book.
Large gatherings. More people = more risk. 10 guests at dinner is different from 100 guests at a party.
Alcohol involved. Dramatically increases likelihood and severity of incidents.
Renting equipment or using vendors. More moving parts means more potential liability.
Event not at your home. Your homeowners liability might not cover events at other locations.
You have assets to protect. A lawsuit could go after your savings, home, future earnings.
Where to get it
Online options like TULIP, WedSafe (does events beyond weddings), Thimble, and others. Can usually get quote and buy same day. Some general insurers offer it too.
If venue has preferred vendors, they might have insurance partners who streamline the process.
Coworker’s situation now
The person who fell ended up not suing—thank god for him—but he sweated it for months. Any event he hosts now he gets insurance. “A hundred bucks to not worry about losing everything? Easy decision.”
He was lucky. Someone else in same situation might not be. And a slip and fall lawsuit can easily be $50,000-100,000+ in medical bills and legal costs.
Liability is doing her thing where she follows me around demanding treats—she figured out where I keep the mealworms—but the point about event insurance is it’s cheap, easy to get, and protects against real risk. Big party coming up? Especially if there’s alcohol? Especially at a venue that’s not your home? Get the coverage. Hundred bucks. Done. Stop worrying.
