For millions of people around the world, the arrival of Easter means family gatherings, holiday weekends and bustling parks, towns and cities. For security professionals and risk managers, it signals spikes in crowd density, a known concentration of people in and around places of worship and a threat environment that bad actors actively study.

Why Religious Holidays Attract Threat Actors

The logic behind targeting religious holidays is straightforward. Large gatherings of people in publicly accessible spaces, reduced security alertness among the general public, high symbolic value and guaranteed media attention.

Research into extremist targeting of crowded places and holidays consistently shows that lone actors and organised groups favour these moments for three reasons: ease of attack; the effectiveness of simple weapons in dense crowds; the symbolic weight of the date or venue. The goal isn't just casualties but disruption, fear and the erosion of public confidence.

Churches and places of worship are particularly exposed. According to Pool Re's religious sites threat assessment, the Easter period significantly increases the attractiveness of any given church to individuals with terrorist intent.

Crucially, any terrorist actor with the intent to target a church in the UK would likely have open access and the capability to conduct uninterrupted hostile reconnaissance, due to the relaxed security posture and publicly accessible nature of most church buildings.

The combination of  high symbolic value, low security posture and predictable congregation times is precisely why Easter weekend requires deliberate security risk management, not passive awareness.

The Threat Picture Right Now

The UK's terrorism threat level currently sits at Substantial, meaning an attack is considered likely. Analysis of the UK's shifting terrorism threat landscape points to a longer-term shift toward smaller, harder-to-interdict attacks carried out by individuals or small groups inspired by a wide range of ideological causes online.

The tactics most commonly seen in recent years are not sophisticated. Vehicle ramming, bladed weapons and lone-actor strikes on crowded places have all featured in incidents across Europe over the past decade. A 2024 attack in Sydney saw an individual conduct a bladed weapon assault at a church during Mass, targeting a bishop, a priest and congregants. Australian police described it as a religiously motivated terrorist act.

It is also worth noting that the threat is not confined to extremist ideology. Opportunistic crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour all increase wherever large numbers of people gather in public spaces with limited oversight.

Martyn's Law: What Church and Event Leaders Need to Know

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 - Martyn's Law is now on the statute book. It establishes a tiered system based on venue capacity, requiring those with a capacity of 200 or more people, including places of worship, to conduct risk assessments and implement mitigation measures such as staff training, emergency plans and evacuation procedures.

Although the Act received Royal Assent in April 2025, the government intends an implementation period of at least 24 months before provisions come into force. That window is for preparation not inaction.

For many church and community leaders, Easter 2026 will be one of the first major public gatherings they face with that legal duty on the horizon. The ProtectUK website.  run by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, offers free guidance and a one-hour ACT Awareness e-learning course.

What Organisations and Event Planners Should Do Now

1. Conduct a threat assessment specific to your event or premises.

Generic risk assessments will not suffice at this time of year. If you are running an Easter event such as a market, a church service or a community gathering in a public space, treat it as you would any other crowded places security scenario. Peregrine's Security Risk Management Consultancy team can support with bespoke assessments for events of all sizes.

2. Think about access and perimeter control.

Across Europe, cities responding to elevated threat levels have placed concrete barriers along key footfall areas, increased patrols and deployed plain-clothes officers to circulate through crowds and identify suspicious behaviour. The principle applies at any scale: know your entry and exit points and have a plan if something goes wrong.

3. Brief your team and volunteers. 

Many Easter events rely heavily on volunteers with no security background. A 15-minute brief covering what to look for, who to contact and how to respond to an incident can make a significant difference.

4. Be visible and approachable. 

An alert, visible security or stewarding presence is itself a deterrent. It also reassures attendees and creates a faster conduit for information if someone spots something suspicious. If your event profile warrants a professional close protection or security presence, Peregrine's Protective People Services team is available to advise.

5. Have a communication plan. 

Know how you will communicate with attendees, local police and event staff if an incident occurs. Pre-agreed signals and clear roles reduce panic and improve response times.

6. Consider travel risk if your event involves international attendees.

Easter coincides with significant travel movement. Peregrine's Foresight pre-travel risk assessment tool provides real-time destination intelligence for organisations with staff or guests travelling during the period.

The Right Response

The right answer to all of this is not to cancel events or treat every gathering as a crisis waiting to happen but to plan properly, train your people and engage professional support where the risk profile warrants it.

Easter should be a time for communities to come together. Keeping it that way is a shared responsibility and one that Peregrine takes seriously.

If you are running a large event this Easter and would like to discuss your security arrangements, speak to our team today.

The following sources inform this article and are recommended for further reading on event security, terrorism risk and Martyn's Law compliance:

1. HSToday — Holiday Terror Threats: How Extremists Encourage Violence During the Season

2. Pool Re — Religious Sites: Threats to Churches (Threat Assessment, 2024)

3. Moody's — A Shifting UK Terrorism Threat Landscape: 2025 Risk Assessment

4. ProtectUK (NaCTSO / Home Office) — Martyn's Law: What You Need to Know

5. ProtectUK — ACT Awareness Free e-Learning (Counter Terrorism Training)

6. UK Parliament Research Briefing — Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025

7. DHS / Homeland Security — National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletins