Planning an event at parliament
An FP Explainer
The sitting calendar for the Australian Parliament for 2026 has now been confirmed, which means that we now know when politicians will be in Canberra.
We’ve created this guide for people and organisations planning an event at Australian Parliament House (APH). It includes everything that you need to know before you start.
Check timings
Check the sitting calendar to ensure that the people you’re trying to reach are in Canberra.
There are also key parts of the day when people aren’t available. For example, during question time which usually goes from 2pm to 3pm and involves all parliamentarians. The Labor Party caucus meets every Monday morning of a sitting week and Liberal party room meets every Tuesday morning of a sitting week.
Most people leave Canberra to go back to their electorates on Thursday evenings of a sitting week, so it’s best to avoid this time for an event.
It’s also important to check the availability of key people that you want involved in event before locking anything in.
It’s worth asking friendly politicians or advisors if they know of any key events happening during the week you are planning to hold your event. There will always be several events happening at one time, but it’s best to try and avoid clashing with something that will pull away lots of people or key people you are trying to engage with.
Secure a space
There are two ways that you can secure a space in parliament.
The first is to reach out to a politician that is part of the event and ask them if they are able to book a room. These bookings are usually for Committee rooms. If a politicians book a Committee Room, there is no fee for the room itself. There will be a fee for catering and audio visual.
The second is through the catering and events team. They have a list of spaces at parliament from the great hall which seats 1,000 people theatre style, to a private dining room that seats 40 people. You can also see where the room is located in Parliament House.
You can make an event enquiry via this online form. You can also call the team at 02 6277 8000.
Organise catering, Audio Visual (AV)
You will need to organise catering with House Services at 02 6277 3933 and AV with Broadcasting at 02 6277 8603). These are run by different sections.
They will seek information on what you need and then you will sign a confirmed quote with the timings ahead of the event.
Invite speakers and guests
If you are planning on inviting politicians to speak at the event, they will likely request information on who is attending, any VIPs, an agenda and any other information that can help them to prepare speeches.
For guests, it is important that invitations include important information about getting access to private areas of Parliament House. This includes arriving at least 30 minutes before the event starts, to allow for time to be escorted. They will also need to bring photo identification.
It’s important that you let people know where to meet you in the building. Most likely they will be meeting you in the marble foyer at the front of Parliament. They will need to enter the front doors and go through security screening, similar to entering an airport.
Check security requirements
Events are largely held in the private areas of Parliament House. This means, if you aren’t a pass holder, you can’t access these areas without being signed in and being escorted by a pass holder.
Everyone who is entering the private spaces of Parliament House will need to show photo ID to the security desk when entering. If you’re organising your event through the catering and events team, they will help to manage this and coordinate a bulk issue access pads form. They will also coordinate escorting people to private areas of the building.
If your booking was made by a parliamentarian, they may ask you to coordinate the bulk issue access pass form.
A bulk access form is a list of people who will need to be signed in for the event. This is anyone attending or speaking who doesn’t have a parliamentary pass. A person with a parliamentary pass needs to be listed as the sponsor of the event.
The form needs to be returned to the Concierge 72 hours before the event at concierge@ahp.gov.au.
On the day of the event, people will be signed in from this form and given a pass that they can wear. They will still need to be escorted to the room by a pass holder. It’s recommended that you need one pass holder per 10 people being signed in.
Other things to know
There are a range of people and organisations seeking to hold events at parliament. This policy outlines which events are permitted, how they are prioritised, costs and other useful information.
If you have large items like banners, and boxes of reports or other items, they will need to be dropped at the Parliament House Loading Dock prior to the event. This can be arranged with events and catering team.
There are a range ofrules around filming and photography in events. This varies depending on where in the building photography is taking place and the use of the photographs or filming. Check with the Department of Parliamentary Services to find out if permission is needed at 02 6277 5532.
For Purpose holds training on policy, advocacy, communications, media engagement and more. Find out more here.
