Overview

It started with the venue failing to provide agreed access arrangements, and finished with me leaving in tears after being yelled at by a member of staff for needing to sit down.

Transport & Parking

We used busses at walked / crutched up the hill to the venue.

Access

Staff confirmed by email that disabled people would be allowed to enter the venue ahead of general admission to do ticket checks, bag searches, and find accessible space in the hall. We queued separately outside (no seating), but early entry didn’t happen. The venue required proof of my disabled status (my ADP award), which felt a bit intrusive, then didn’t actually provide any adjustments. There were WAY more disabled people than there was provision for. Despite contacting the venue in advance, multiple mobility aid users couldn’t access the viewing platform, and there was no other measures available for our safety or enjoyment of the event. Areas where you could lean on the wall of the hall or the viewing platform have white tape on the floor and security staff preventing folk standing there. I assume these are to maintain a little space near the doors, but it means that if you haven’t been granted space on the viewing platform, you can’t support yourself on anything and are in the crowd (wheelchair (power and manual), crutches and walking stick users). If you position yourself the edge of the crowd you get inadvertently banged into by folk coming and going who haven’t clocked a mobility aid. I also had several people put their hands on me while they went by, some attempting to move me out of their way, and others tripping over my crutches.

Toilets

Only one, so there was a long queue with no seating available. I went after the first of two support bands before the headliner, so early on; the bin was overflowing with paper towels, and there was no soap. I politely told the member of staff positioned outside the toilet “just to let you know, the soap dispenser’s empty”, and I got an eye roll and sighed at.

Staff

We were denied access to the disabled entrance because we didn’t have a yellow wristband, which had not been mentioned in email correspondence about accessibility. Senior security / visitor service staff member apologised after my partner did A LOT of advocating for me, said we could go in disabled entrance and stand near the viewing platform but that was all she could do. One lovely security guard who was as accommodating as she possibly could be. She said she’d never known an event to have so many people with access needs in attendance. She kindly allowed me to lean on the viewing platform, but several other people with mobility aids were told they couldn’t, which felt really awkward. We had to switch locations due to constantly getting knocked into, away from lovely security guard. I made it to within three songs of the end before needing to sit down due to pain caused by prolonged standing. I cleared empty pint cups from a step at the base of a pillar, out of the way and safe, and was shouted at to “get up” multiple times by a security guard - I told him I’m disabled (my crutches might’ve given that away), that they’d overbooked the accessible viewing platform, that I was in a lot of pain and I just needed a moment. Nope. More shouting. “No, you don’t have a yellow wristband, so get up, get up”. I was in significant pain, worsened by trying to prevent injury in an unsafe crowd environment because the venue didn’t act on their accessibility commitment. To then be treated so unkindly finished the gig for me. I left in tears.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

We came down from Scotland for this event and did everything we could in advance to make sure I had my access needs met. Now I’m in a lot of pain because I had to stand for 4 hours, my arms are bruised from people banging into me / my crutches in the dark, and the lack of basic empathy and respectful communication caused me to miss the end of the gig. Shouting at a disabled woman til she cries is not a good look. I don’t trust the venue to provide a safe environment, to meet their assurances, or treat me with dignity, so beautiful a space as it is, I doubt I’ll go back.