If you want to celebrate the European Championships at home and organize a public viewing in the garden, you have to follow a few rules to avoid getting into trouble with the law – or your neighbors. Crowds of people and excessive noise are not allowed.
A large screen showing the game, deck chairs, a cold beer and meat sizzling on the grill in the background: public viewing at home sounds tempting for many football fans when the European Championship begins in Germany on June 14th.
But it’s not quite that simple – there are a few things to consider if you want to watch the games with a large group in the garden or on the balcony.
You are not allowed to host a public viewing event at your home, to which half the city is invited. This requires both a UEFA license and GEMA rights. But if your friends and family gather in the garden to watch football together, this is not a problem.
It is important, however, that your neighbors do not feel bothered by the noise. In the best case, they are football fans themselves and accept the loud goal celebrations; in the worst case, you will have to reduce the volume to a normal level in order to avoid causing trouble.
The noise from the broadcast should also be kept to a minimum – this is not always easy to achieve outdoors. After 10 p.m. (after 11 p.m. on weekends) there is a quiet time, so it’s better to move the party indoors after the game.
If you live in a rented apartment and watch the European Championships on the balcony, the likelihood that other roommates might feel disturbed increases. In the garden of a single-family home, no one will probably hear you so quickly if you don’t turn the volume up too loud.
If you want to be on the safe side, inform your neighbors if there is a small football party coming up and things are going to get a bit loud – or invite them directly to your public viewing.
