Candles, animals, musical instruments, bulky hampers and alcohol are among items banned from the public events during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Britain next month because "they could pose a threat to others".

The list, issued by the Catholic church of England and Wales, is aimed at the tens of thousands who will be attending a prayer vigil in Hyde Park, London, and the beatification of Cardinal Henry Newman in Cofton Park, Birmingham.

According to the official papal visit website, people are welcome to "bring a pilgrim picnic" but they should consider bringing nonperishable foods or "make arrangements to share picnics as appropriate". Hampers and cool boxes "should not exceed 20in x 13in x8in (51cm x 33cm x 20cm)".

The website also states "there are a number of things you should not bring with you as they could pose a threat to yourself or others" – including barbecues, whistles and gazebos.

Happily, Catholics are permitted to have sunblock, banners, flags, cushions and small folding chairs. Those who forget to bring something to sit or kneel on are encouraged to use their "pilgrim's pack", a drawstring back containing a 12-track CD featuring Britain's Got Talent Finalist Liam McNally, a pass permitting entry to the event and a postcard. TV presenter Carol Vorderman will introduce a series of "warm-up" acts before the pope appears to a crowd of 80,000.

Those going to Cofton Park are told that noise levels at the beatification – the penultimate step towards sainthood – may exceed 96 decibels, making the event louder than a lawnmower but quieter than a model airplane.

About 65,000 Catholics are expected in Birmingham and 1,200 papal-visit branded umbrellas will be used to highlight distribution points for Holy Communion in the 135-acre site.

The beatification of Newman, a convert to Roman Catholicism from the Church of England, will be the "culmination" of the historic four-day trip, according to the papal spokesman.

Fr Federico Lombardi told Vatican Radio that Benedict XVI accepted the invitation because of the occasion. Newman was the spiritual heart of the visit, he said.

He also remarked that British pilgrims were in the "unusual" position of having to finance some of the costs associated with the masses. "People cannot move freely on foot to where the three major public events will be taking place," he said. "They must use arranged transportation and all the seats must be allocated to an extremely precise number."

The organisational constraints were "dictated by the security needs of civil authorities," he added.