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Special Events & Filming

Civic Center Plaza
1200 Third Ave., Suite 1326
San Diego, CA 92101
619-685-1331
SpecialEvents@sandiego.gov
Film@sandiego.gov

CELEBRATE SAN DIEGO THROUGH SPECIAL EVENTS & FILM

Join us in celebrating San Diego, from our neighborhoods to the silver screen. Recognized for its array of festivals and sporting events of national and international stature to community based celebrations, feature films, and TV shows, the City of San Diego is proud to host thousands of events and film productions that contribute to the spirit and vitality of our city.

The Special Events & Filming Department provides a portfolio of services designed to support San Diego's neighborhoods, as well as the city's special event, filming, business, and tourism industries. Through our one-stop special event permitting process, an event organizer can work with the City to plan all aspects of their event that relate to the use of public property. Securing filming authorization on public property is quick and simple, with no-cost processing and dedicated staff to assist you along the way.

ADVISORY ALERT: Due to the number of events taking place in San Diego, public safety staff are not available on the following dates. Once public safety staffing for a particular date(s) has been exhausted, permit applications for the particular date(s) will no longer be accepted.

June 5, 2022

July 4, 2022

July 30, 2022

July 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

December 31, 2022

ADVISORY ALERT: 

Please note that a minimum of 60 days is required to submit a Special Events permit application. The City of San Diego may accept applications up to 30 days prior to an event with applicable late fees. Events that are less than 30 days out and do NOT have an application already submitted must receive approval to submit a late application from the Executive Director of the Special Events and Filming Department. Please email specialevents@sandiego.gov to request approval to submit a late application within 30 days of the event. In order to ensure adequate time for review, it is strongly recommended that you submit your permit application at least 120 days prior to the proposed event date, due to potential delays related to environmental review processes or internal/external stakeholder constraints.

Per the Special Events Planning Guide, the Host Organization will be billed the permit application fee (and late fees if applicable) based on the date the permit application has been determined to be substantially complete.  For purposes of this online application, a permit application is deemed complete when the status is first changed to "Under Review" and not based on application submission date.

  • $269 for applications received sixty (60) or more days prior to the event. Applications must be substantially complete.
  • $37 per business day late fee in addition to the $269 application fee for permit applications received less than sixty (60) prior to an event. Applications must be substantially complete. 
  • Fee Changes Fiscal Year 2023 - Effective July 1, 2022 

COVID-19 Safety Recommendations

All event operators and attendees can use the California SMARTER Plan along with local conditions as a guide. Event operators should consider a layered approach, because when combined, these strategies have a greater ability to mitigate the dangers of transmission. These recommendations can be adopted to fit your target demographic as needed given the ongoing community transmission of COVID-19 and the presence of the new and emerging variants in your area. 

Special Events:

Please refer to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) PDF icon Event Playbook for best practices and recommendations for event operators to produce safe and smart live events.

Additional guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) are available for prevention protocols. While not required by the State or County Public Health Department, event organizers are strongly encouraged to have COVID prevention protocols and mitigation efforts in place as outlined in the PDF icon Events Playbook in order to provide best efforts to ensure a safe event. 

Please provide any COVID protocols being followed in your special event application. The City recommends the organizer post relevant information to the public on event websites, social media, and on-site. 

Filming:

All productions are strongly encouraged to comply with California Department of Public Health recommendations. As with all guidance that relates to COVID-19 response, authorities will revisit this guidance on a regular basis to evaluate the continued public health need for it to evaluate if any elements need to be changed. To stay informed, continue to monitor this link:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Beyond-Blueprint-Framework.aspx. 

Aditional Resources: 

Employee Guidelines

CalOSHA ETS: https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3205.html