Access

Venue Access Introduction

The Bridgewater Hall is committed to disability awareness and champions inclusivity across all our services. We aim to make everyone’s visit to the Hall enjoyable and comfortable.

This guide is designed to assist patrons with accessibility requirements and make visiting The Bridgewater Hall as straightforward as possible. We offer multiple facilities to assist people with varying needs and our staff are trained and available to help.

Contact Us

If you would like to contact us about purchasing tickets, getting to the venue, our access facilities, or if you have specific requirements that are not covered in this guide, please contact our team via one of the methods below. 

By email
Please send an email to access@bridgewater-hall.co.uk

By phone
If you would prefer to speak via telephone, please contact our Box Office on 0161 907 9000. A text relay service is available via Relay UK.

Alternatively, email your phone number to access@bridgewater-hall.co.uk and we will call you back as soon as possible. 

In person
You can also stop by our Box Office and speak to us in person. The Box Office counter is open Monday–Friday 10.00am–5.00pm, and until 8.00pm on concert nights. At weekends, we are open on concert days from 2.00pm. All the windows at the Box Office are low level and equipped with hearing loops.

The Box Office is located in the main foyer of The Bridgewater Hall, the entrance is on lower Mosley Street and is step free.

By Post
The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS

We aim to respond to all queries within five working days.

Download Access Information

The information on this can be downloaded as a Word document.

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Access Information

Venue Description

The Bridgewater Hall has step free access into the auditorium, meeting rooms, restaurant, bars and toilets.  The Box Office, Stalls Foyer and Auditorium are at ground level. All other floors are accessible via lift.

The bars on Stalls, Circle and Gallery levels, and the Box Office all have low level, accessible counter positions.

Bookable Access Facilities

We advise customers share their access requirements and any other information that may assist the team to find suitable seats at the time of booking.

Free tickets for Personal Assistants
The Bridgewater Hall offers one free personal assistant/support worker ticket for all eligible customers. These are available at the discretion of the Box Office to patrons who require support from another person to attend the Hall (due to an impairment or long term medical condition).

Personal assistant tickets are only available via the venue and not from ticket agents such as Ticketmaster.

Personal Assistants must be able to assist the patron with their access requirements including during in an emergency situation. They are not expected to leave the customer alone for long periods of time.

Seating
There are 16 wheelchair spaces located in various level access areas in the auditorium, with spaces available on every level.  

For patrons who require step free access to their seats, this is available in the following areas. Please see the accessibility seating plan and/or contact our team for more information/advice.                                                                                                                         

Mobility Aides 
Stewards can advise/assist with the storage of any mobility aides that are not in use during the performance.

We offer a wheelchair loan service (subject to availability) for those patrons who require extra assistance to and from their seats. Please note these chairs are available for transfer use only, they should not be booked to be used in a wheelchair space. Our staff can provide limited assistance in the use of these. Patrons who require help getting in and out of a chair are advised to make use of the personal assistant ticket scheme. The wheelchair service can be booked through the Box Office.

Assistance for Visually Impaired Patrons
The front rows of the stalls area are generally the most appropriate for patrons with impaired vision.

Lifts have voice announcements and raised lettering on the control panel.

All stair landings have raised lettering with directional information.

Touch Tours

The Hallé and The Bridgewater Hall are delighted to invite blind and visually impaired audience members to a free touch tour prior to some Hallé concerts. For more information and to book places, please click here

Travel Guide

The Bridgewater Hall is located in central Manchester and is therefore well served by many transport links. Our full address is: The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS.

By Metrolink
The nearest Metrolink tram stop to The Bridgewater Hall is St Peter’s Square, which has ramp access to all platforms and is approximately 330metres from the main entrance of the Hall via flat terrain. Deansgate-Castlefield is approximately 450 metres from the Hall, with lift access to the platforms located on the corner of Deansgate and Whitworth Street West.

For journey planning and more information on the National Concessionary Pass from Transport for Greater Manchester.

By Train
The closest railway stations to The Bridgewater Hall are Deansgate (approximately 500m) and Oxford Road (approximately 650m). Deansgate station has long ramp, stairs, and lift access between the platforms and street level.

By Bus
Many buses, including the free city centre bus service, stop within easy walking distance of The Bridgewater Hall.

Bus stops on Great Bridgewater Street, directly behind the Hall are served by routes 33, 33b, 255, 256, and x50.

The nearest free bus stops are:
Mount Street/ Peter Street (300m) – Route 2
Deansgate station (500m) – Route 3

Further bus accessibility information can be found from Transport for Greater Manchester or by calling the customer contact centre on 0161 244 1000.

By car
If travelling by car, please allow plenty of time for your journey. For satellite navigation, the Hall’s postcode is M2 3WS.

The Hall’s main entrance is located on Lower Mosley Street, a drop-off/pick-up point is located directly outside this entrance. We must stress that this is not a parking space, even for blue badge holders. Double yellow lines at the rear of the Hall on Great Bridgewater Street allow parking for blue badge holders, except during the hours of 6.00–8.00am and 4.00–6.00pm.

Accessible Parking
The nearest car parks to the hall are Q-Park, NCP Manchester Central, NCP Great Northern and NCP Oxford Street. All of these are accessible.

NCP Manchester Central is located on Lower Mosley Street, directly opposite the Hall.  Access to and from this car park is by lift or ramp between Barbirolli Square and the canal basin and covered walkway under Lower Mosley Street.

For Sat Nav systems the postcode for the car park is M2 3GX.

If you would like to pre-book parking or have any further enquiries please contact NCP on 0845 050 7080 or visit NCP website.

There are disabled parking spaces available at NCP Manchester Central. These are charged at NCP Manchester Central’s standard rates, with some discounted evening/ pre-booked rates available. See the NCP’s website for more information.

By Taxi
Taxis can be pre-booked to The Bridgewater Hall.  There is an accessible drop-off point located on Lower Mosley Street directly outside the main entrance of the Hall.

Black cabs often wait outside the main entrance of the Hall at the end of performances and our security staff can assist with hailing one. Alternatively, the nearest taxi ranks are located on Windmill Street (outside Manchester Central) or Peter Street (outside the Midland Hotel).

Arrival at the Hall Guide

Opening Times

Daytime
Foyer: Monday to Friday 11.00am–3.00pm
Box Office Counter: Monday to Friday 10.00am–5.00pm
Box Office Counter: Saturday & Sunday 2.00pm–5.00pm (concert days only)

Concert Evenings
Foyer: 90 minutes before the concert start time
150 minutes before the concert start time for pre-booked dining
Box Office Counter: Open until 8.00pm or the start of the main act

Arriving at the Venue
Entrance to the building for events is through the Hall’s main doors, located on Lower Mosley Street. Our Security team carry out bag checks outside this entrance and can answer any questions about the Hall or the event. They will be aware of any issues or additional needs you have informed us of prior to the event. Please provide your name or show a copy of any acknowledgement you have received from us.

There are several items prohibited from the venue for security reasons; please see our Security page for a list of these. Exceptions will be made for patrons with access or medical requirements.

Once you have entered the building, there will be stewarding staff in the foyer to guide and assist you further if required.

The Box Office is in our main foyer, which offers complete level access. 

On non-concert days, the Box Office is accessible via automatic sliding doors at the side of the building on Lower Mosley Street, as well as through the main entrance during the foyer opening times (as above). When the foyer is open, our information desk receptionist can direct you and answer any queries. When the foyer isn’t open, the Box Office counter staff will be available to assist you.

When collecting pre-booked tickets, there is no need to bring a printed booking confirmation – your surname and postcode will suffice.     

Toilets

There is one gender neutral accessible toilet available on each of the four floors of the building, with level access from the Auditorium. The facilities on Choir Circle level (level 2) feature a sliding door, with all other levels comprising accessible swing doors. On the Stalls level, the toilet can be found on the left of the building, easily accessible from the main entrance and Stalls Auditorium. The upper floors facilities are next to the lift. Staff will always be available to direct you to the nearest facility.

Customers with Medical Requirements

We understand some patrons may need to bring medicines, medical equipment, or food and drink with them to the Hall due to specific requirements, and are welcome to do so.

We suggest contacting us prior to your visit for advice, prior written acknowledgement from the venue of your requirement, or if you have any concerns or questions. An email from the venue is the quickest way through the security process, with a list of exceptions issued to the security team when advance notice has been provided.

For patrons who require privacy to take medicines, use equipment etc. there is a first aid room available to use, please ask a member of staff.

Access to Performances

Assistance for Hearing Impaired Patrons

The Bridgewater Hall is equipped with the Sennheiser Mobile Connect assistive listening system which allows users to listen to a live feed of stage performances via headphones, a neck loop or compatible hearing aids from anywhere within the auditorium.

Step-by-Step Guide for Using Sennheiser Mobile Connect.at The Bridgwater Hall

1. Connect to the “Sennheiser mobile connect” Wi-Fi network on your smartphone.
2. Download the “Sennheiser Mobile Connect App” from either the Apple App Store or Google Play store (free of charge).
3. Launch the Mobile Connect App on your device.
4. Scan the ‘Mobile Connect’ QR code (please ask a member of staff)
5. Select the “Bridgewater Hall Auditorium” channel
6. Listen through your usual wired headphones, neck loop, or Bluetooth listening system.

A limited area of the Auditorium is also equipped with a Sennheiser infrared hearing system, contact the Box Office for more details on booking tickets covered by this system.

We offer three types of receivers for use with this system:

• Stethoscope receivers, for patrons with impaired hearing
• Necklet induction couplers, for use with switchable hearing aids
• Earpiece receivers, for use with digital in ear hearing aids

These are all available from the cloakroom on the Stalls foyer. The cloakroom attendant will advise on the appropriate receiver and use of the system. This system does not work with Bluetooth enabled hearing aids.

The Box Office and Cloakroom counters are all fitted with loop systems.

Other Assistance
If you have any specific requests for a performance, such as the use of British Sign Language Interpretation and Captioning, please contact us.

To allow us to make any reasonable adjustments and provide additional resources, please give 6 weeks’ prior notice to the event date.

Relaxed and other accessible performances
The Bridgewater Hall offers a range of relaxed/accessible events. All of the events programmed by our Learning and Participation department (including concerts, workshops, community choirs and more) are relaxed. Some of these are targeted to specific audiences; please contact us for more details.   

On all performances, foam earplugs are available for those who might require them. We also have ear defenders for loan. Just ask a member of staff.

We will always endeavour to provide a calm space and/ or early access to a performance space if requested. If you know ahead of a visit that you would find either or both of those of benefit, please get in touch. We can also facilitate pre-visits to the venue ahead of an event if this would benefit you.

Assistance Dogs

ADUK registered assistance dogs are welcome throughout the building.

We recognise that not all assistance dogs are registered with Assistance Dogs UK Members and that assistance dogs can be trained by their owners. We therefore welcome other trained assistance dogs. In this case, as we would not have a registration document to demonstrate the dog’s level of training, we need to ask that you confirm that your dog…

• Can sit quietly without being distracted by the usual noise and bustle of an event.
• Will not wander freely around the premises.
• Is trained not to toilet anywhere inside the venue. Staff will not be responsible for picking up after your dog if they are taking care of them during an event.
• Will not jump on or approach any other members of the public.
• Will be clearly identifiable – by lead, harness or coat – as an assistance dog.

If your dog does not comply with these points, we may ask you to take it out of the venue.

If you wish to take them into a concert with you, contact us for advice on suitable seating or speak to a member of staff on arrival.  It is possible that we may need to find an alternative seat for you if your booked seat is not appropriate. Alternatively, we can provide a safe space for your dog to wait for you. We will provide them with water and check on them regularly. In any event, we will discuss the best options for you and your dog.

Please note, pet dogs are not permitted into the venue.

Special Effects

Many performances may contain effects such as haze, pyrotechnics, strobes or other form of flashing lighting. Signage advising of this will be displayed in the venue. These elements are determined by the production team and the Hall’s team do not always have details of these prior to the performance. Please note it is highly unlikely that a show’s effects will be changed or adapted upon request.