ISO has published ISO 22353:2026, Security and resilience — Guidelines for crowd management, a new international standard that helps organizations create safer conditions at events, mass gatherings and crowded places. It is intended for organizations involved in planning, organizing, hosting or supporting crowded environments and provides a systematic approach to managing changing crowd conditions during normal operations and emergencies.
Events and crowded public spaces bring together large numbers of people in environments that can change quickly. Visitor numbers, crowd characteristics, venue design, available space, movement patterns and unexpected incidents can all affect safety, making a coordinated and systematic approach to crowd management increasingly important.
ISO 22353 provides practical guidance to help organizations identify crowd-related risks, assess capacity and movement patterns, and manage crowds safely throughout the planning and delivery of an event. The guidance can help organizations better understand crowd behavior, reduce risks and support safer event experiences during both normal operations and emergency situations.
"Crowd safety management is not just about managing people during an event. It starts with understanding the audience, the venue and how crowd conditions may change. ISO 22353 provides a common framework for assessing these risks, clarifying responsibilities and ensuring that crowd management is considered throughout the entire event, from planning to evaluation."
– Sofie Dahl, Head of Security, Live Nation Denmark
A systematic approach to crowd management
Crowded environments are often complex and dynamic. Factors such as visitor numbers, crowd characteristics, venue design, available space, movement patterns and unexpected incidents can all influence safety outcomes.
The standard provides practical guidance for assessing crowd-related risks, understanding capacity and movement, planning entry and exit, coordinating stakeholders, and monitoring arrangements before, during and after an event.
The standard includes a structured crowd assessment process that helps organizations identify potential risks and develop appropriate management arrangements before, during and after an event.
Supporting safer events and public spaces
ISO 22353 is intended for public and private organizations involved in planning, organizing, hosting or supporting events, mass gatherings and crowded places, including event organizers, venue operators, public authorities, emergency services, and security and safety professionals.
The guidance can be applied to a wide range of environments, from planned events and entertainment venues to other locations where large numbers of people gather.
Benefits of the standard
By adopting a systematic approach to crowd management, organizations can improve their understanding of crowd behavior and movement, clarify responsibilities, strengthen cooperation between stakeholders and enhance preparedness for both routine operations and emergency situations.
ISO 22353 also supports continual improvement through monitoring, evaluation and lessons learned, helping organizations adapt and strengthen crowd management arrangements over time.
By supporting clearer responsibilities, stronger cooperation and continual learning, ISO 22353 helps organizations improve crowd management arrangements and adapt them as conditions, venues and experience evolve.
Find out more
See ISO 22353:2026 at a glance for more information about what the standard covers, who should use it, what it helps users achieve and how it fits into the ISO/TC 292 portfolio.
ISO 22353:2026, Security and resilience — Guidelines for crowd management is available from the ISO Store and through ISO national standards bodies worldwide.