No License Needed for Jayamangala Gatha at Weddings; Viral Claim Misleading

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The Jayamangala Gatha is sung at almost every Sinhala Buddhist wedding, as the couple stand on the Poruwa. So, when a new music licensing scheme for weddings and events was gazette, a claim spread quickly that families would now need an official license even to have these blessings chanted, or to play music at their own parties. We checked what the new rules actually cover. Here are the posts that carried the claim.

Social Media Posts:

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Fact-Check:

The Association of Creators and Publishers of Sri Lanka (ACPOSL) introduced a new music licensing system and published a gazette notification setting it out. Under the system, license fees are charged for playing songs at commercial venues and organized events. The regulations in the gazette officially came into force on September 15, 2026. The gazette notification is available here.

The Jayamangala Gatha Does Not Require a License

The official gazette-imposed license fees only for playing and performing copyrighted musical works, songs and melodies that are used commercially. No license or fee was imposed on the Jayamangala Gatha, a traditional religious blessing chanted at weddings.

The fees of Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 125,000 set out in the gazette applied to the use of commercial Sinhala, Hindi or Tamil songs at a wedding, based on the number of guests attending. They were not imposed on the Jayamangala Gatha.

Mainstream media also reported on the gazette, but no credible news source reported that a license was needed to chant the Jayamangala Gatha, or that any fee would be charged for it, as the post claimed. Media reports are available here and here.

The Gazette Set Out Four Main Points

• A valid ACPOSL license must be obtained before songs are played commercially at places such as weddings, private parties, corporate events, supermarkets, banks, hotels, and public transport services.
• A fixed schedule of annual fees was introduced, based on the number of guests at an event (for example, Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 125,000 for wedding receptions) and, for commercial premises, on floor area.
• The license applies only to local musical works and to Hindi and Tamil music represented under international agreements.
• The license must be obtained 14 days before an event. Hotel and function hall owners must not allow unlicensed music on their premises, and legal action will be taken if they do.

ACPOSL Revised the Scheme After Public Backlash

After the new licensing system was announced and drew criticism from the public and the industry, ACPOSL announced several new decisions.

ACPOSL Said the Scheme Had Not Been Withdrawn

The ACPOSL governing board stressed that social media claims that the licensing system had been scrapped were false. It said the programme to protect intellectual property rights would continue, but that some parts would be revised and relaxed because of practical difficulties.

After special discussions with the Event Management Association of Sri Lanka and the association representing disc producers and DJs, ACPOSL decided to revise certain parts of the license fee structure for events held at hotels and commercial premises.

The association again assured the public that private family functions held at home were not covered. It said a fairer, more transparent, and simpler fee structure, along with a special concessionary fee schedule for small hotels, would be announced in an official notice in the coming days. More details are available here and here.

Update (September 27, 2026): After this fact-check was published, ACPOSL temporarily suspended license fees for weddings, private parties, and DJ performances at events. A final decision on whether licensing for these events will continue is due at ACPOSL’s general meeting in November 2026, and any permanent change needs the approval of two-thirds of its members. More details are available here.

The Scheme Aims to Pay Songwriters and Composers Fairly

The purpose of the scheme is to ensure that lyricists, composers, and publishers receive a fair return when their work is used commercially.

The fee is not a government tax. It is not charged for private household functions held at home, nor is it charged to bands or musicians. Responsibility for paying the fee and obtaining the license lies only with the event organizer or the owner of the venue.

ACPOSL Confirmed No License Is Needed for the Jayamangala Gatha

We asked ACPOSL about the post claiming that a license was now needed to chant the Jayamangala Gatha at parties and weddings. The association confirmed that the fees applied only to commercially used, copyrighted musical works, and that no fee or license was required for the Jayamangala Gatha.

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Conclusion:

Our fact-check found that post-claiming a license was needed to chant the Jayamangala Gatha at parties and weddings was misleading. ACPOSL introduced license fees for playing commercially used, copyrighted music at commercial venues and organized events. This did not apply to the Jayamangala Gatha, a traditional blessing chant, or to private family functions held at home, as ACPOSL itself confirmed.

Following public criticism, ACPOSL said it would revise parts of the fee structure for events at commercial venues and announce the changes in an official notice. On September 27, 2026, it went further and temporarily suspended fees for weddings, private parties, and DJ performances until its general meeting in November.