Access & accessibility
Bristol Beacon is a space for everyone, and we want our buildings and spaces to be available to all
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events, and musical experiences that we offer can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All of our performance spaces at Bristol Beacon are accessible to all, as well as our box office and toilets, cafes, bars and restaurants.
Hopefully any questions you have are answered on this page, but if you would like to speak to someone directly please contact us.
Contact us
Our box office staff are highly trained to give you accurate information about any aspect of your visit or experience with us.
If you feel there is anything we can do to improve your visit, or if you would like to discuss your access requirements, then please get in touch.
Phone: 0117 203 4040
Email: access@bristolbeacon.org
Address: Bristol Beacon, Trenchard Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR
We aim to respond to all email enquiries within 72 hours.
Join the access register
Join the access register
We encourage Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people to join our register so we can help you buy tickets and attend events.
You will enjoy priority booking and a free ticket for your Personal Assistant to support you during your visit.
Venue description
Bristol Beacon runs two venues and four performance spaces. Bristol Beacon in the city center has four performance spaces:
- Beacon Hall
- Lantern Hall
- Weston Stage
- Bridgehouse
Bristol Beacon has step-free access from street level to our box office and performance spaces. There are toilets on all levels of the venue accessible via lift.
Beacon Music Centre in Southmead is our music education hub with lots of classrooms and a large hall.
Beacon Hall
For level access to Beacon Hall enter the venue from Colston Street to lower ground floor, or from Trenchard Street to ground floor.
The lift is beyond our cafe and bar on the lower ground floor, or opposite box office on ground floor. This lift takes you to all floors of Bridgehouse, our entrance foyer.
Your event ticket will tell you which level and door entrance you need.
- For Beacon Hall Stalls use Door A and B (Level 1)
- For Beacon Hall Lower Tier use Door C (Level 2)
- For Beacon Hall Upper Tier use Door D and E (Level 3)
There is step-free level access to Beacon Hall from Doors A, B and C. Door D has 5 steps into the Upper Tier with a lift adjacent to the steps. Door E has 5 steps into the Upper Tier with no lift.
Lantern Hall
For level access to Lantern Hall enter the venue from Colston Street to lower ground floor, or from Trenchard Street to ground floor.
The lift is beyond our cafe and bar on the lower ground floor, or opposite box office on ground floor. This lift takes you to all floors of Bridgehouse, our entrance foyer.
For Lantern Hall, enter through Door A (Level 1). There is step-free access to Lantern Hall on Level 1.
Weston Stage
The Cellars
Weston Stage is the performance space in The Cellars.
For level access to Weston Stage, use either the entrance from Bridgehouse on lower ground floor following signs for The Cellars, or enter directly from Colston Street if this entrance is being used for your event.
Bridgehouse
Bridgehouse Stage is on the lower ground floor. For level access to Bridgehouse enter the venue from Colston Street to lower ground floor, or from Trenchard Street to ground floor.
The lift is beyond our cafe and bar on the lower ground floor, or opposite box office on ground floor. This lift takes you to all floors of Bridgehouse, our entrance foyer.
Video Guide & Virtual tour
Plan your visit to Bristol Beacon
This video is for anyone planning to visit Bristol Beacon. Taking you for a visual tour of each space, including information on access to each area in the building, this video will help you feel prepared and welcome when you visit us.
BSL Video Guide
David Ellington and Rebecca Vaughan welcome you to Bristol Beacon with a BSL signed tour of our venue.
They’ll introduce some fascinating features of our building and our musical and cultural heritage following our major restoration and redesign project.
Join them as they introduce you to our centre for music in the heart of Bristol.
Travel Guide
Useful information about getting to Bristol Beacon
Drop-off by taxi or car
Taxi passengers, Blue Badge holders and those with access requirements can be dropped off and picked up on Pipe Lane or Colston Street. There are drop curbs in both of these laybys.
Accessible public car parking
Trenchard Street car park is 200m from Bristol Beacon. There is level access via a lift within the multi-storey car park, exit on Level 2. There is a steep slope from the car park on pavement to Bristol Beacon. If possible, we recommend that wheelchair users are dropped off and picked up using the laybys on Pipe Lane or Colston Street.
There are 8 accessible parking spaces available in Trenchard Street Car Park (Level 8) directly behind Bristol Beacon. Spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll still need to pay for the duration of your stay in the car park at one of the pay machines.
Limited access to Trenchard Street Car Park
Updated Thu 3 Apr
Trenchard Street car park is open. Please enter via Park Row for upper levels or Trenchard Street for lower levels.
Wheelchair access from the car park has been reinstated. Please note this is a steep slope from the car park across uneven ground to Bristol Beacon.
Two of the three lifts in Trenchard Street car park are currently out of order.
Public Transport
Bus and Coach
The city centre bus stop is 250m from Bristol Beacon where most bus services stop.
Bristol Bus and Coach Station is 800m from Bristol Beacon and is where National Express coaches stop. The Megabus and Flix Bus stops are located nearby on Bond Street.
Train
Bristol Temple Meads is the nearest train station. We are 1.6km west of the train station. The most direct pedestrian route to us from the station is via Queen Square.
Route maps
Our step-free route maps show you the best routes to take from nearby transport hubs and car parks to our venues.
Opening times
Bristol Beacon
Our venue on Trenchard Street is open:
Mon-Sun, 8:00-18:00
Box Office
Phone
Mon – closed
Tue – 12:00-17:00
Wed – 10:00-17:00
Thu – 10:00-17:00
Fri – 10:00-17:00
Sat – closed
Sun – closed
Phone lines are open from 14:00-17:00 for events taking places on Mon, Sat or Sun.
In-person counter
Mon-Fri, 10:00 – 17:00
Closed on bank holidays
Email enquiries will be responded to within 3 working days.
Beacon Music Centre
Our creative learning centre in Southmead:
Open for pre-booked lessons and activities Monday – Sunday.
Our core opening hours (with the reception open) are Tuesday – Friday 9am – 3pm.
For general enquiries, please contact us via telephone or email.
Beacon Music Centre office staff are available to meet in-person by appointment only. Should you wish to meet with a member of Beacon Music Centre staff, please arrange via telephone or email.
Cafes & Restaurant
Bristol Loaf: Mon-Sun
Colonnade: Mon-Sat
Bars
Stalls bar, Terrace bar, Simons’s bar and Golding bar are open for events only. These bars open approximately 30 mins before the advertised doors time of your event.
Arrival Guide
What to expect when you arrive at Bristol Beacon
Arriving at the venue
When you arrive at Bristol Beacon you will be greeted by a steward dressed in a blue shirt. There may be security personnel dressed in black with yellow armbands at the entrance. If you have any questions you can speak to one of our stewards dressed in blue.
If you require early entry please contact us before your visit via access@bristolbeacon.org
Tickets checks and entry
Bristol Beacon uses e-tickets. These will have been emailed to you on the day of purchase. If you need help finding your tickets, please read our help articles.
Box Office is located on the ground floor. Box Office is to your left as if you enter from Trenchard Street. If you enter from Colston Street, take the lift beyond our cafe and bar on the lower ground floor to ground floor, box office is in front of you as you exit the lift.
Tickets will be checked and scanned on the door of the performance space.
Accessible Toilets
There are accessible toilets on every floor with step-free access, grab rails, an emergency alarm cord, raised-height toilet, accessible sink with lever taps, and a sanitary bin.
Changing Places toilet
A Changing Places toilet is located on lower ground floor in the Cellars. It includes an adult-sized height-adjustable changing bench and a ceiling track hoist.
These toilet facilities are open during standard Bristol Beacon opening times and for evening events.
Find out more about our toilet facilities
Customers with medical requirements
Customers are welcome to bring medicine, food and drink to manage a medical condition or any medical equipment they may require.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us via access@bristolbeacon.org
In case of emergency, please contact one of our stewards in blue shirts who will radio for assistance and the emergency services if necessary.
Access to performance
Booking a wheelchair position
If you would like to book a wheelchair position in Beacon Hall or Lantern Hall please join our Access Register, email us access@bristolbeacon.org or call 0117 203 4040.
If you are already on our Access Register, you can book wheelchair positions online. You can login to your account here.
Seating plans
Find out more about our seating plans for all our performance spaces, auditorium entrances and exits, accessible viewing areas and wheelchair positions.
Auditorium seat dimensions
Beacon Hall – Stalls
Seats have a width of 44cm and a depth of 46cm. The armrests are 47cm apart and 22cm higher than the seat itself. The seat height is 45cm from the floor.
Beacon Hall – Side Tiers
Seats have a width of 44cm and a depth of 42cm. The armrests are 44cm apart and 24cm higher than the seat itself. The seat height is 50cm from the floor.
Beacon Hall – Choir
Choir seats are padded bench seats. An individual seat position on the bench has a width of 45cm and a depth of 36cm. There are no arm rests. The seat height is 44cm from the floor.
Lantern Hall – Front
Seats have a width of 44cm and a depth of 45cm. The armrests are 47cm apart and 21cm higher than the seat itself. The seat height is 45cm from the floor.
Lantern Hall – Back
Seats have a width of 46cm and a depth of 45cm. The armrests are 47cm apart and 22cm higher than the seat itself. The seat height is 45cm from the floor.
If you have any questions about the dimensions of and sizing of our auditorium seating, please contact us via email access@bristolbeacon.org
Assistive Listening Facility
Assistive listening systems are available in all our venues allowing you to enjoy clear and precise audio quality anywhere in the room.
Using MobileConnect, listen directly to the mixed audio of the sound desk with your own mobile device and headphones, customise your preferences and enjoy live performance how you choose to hear it.
Emergency Evacuation Procedure
If you want to request details about our emergency evacuation procedure in advance, please email access@bristolbeacon.org
Access Events
British Sign Language – BSL
We offer some performances with BSL interpretation. Occasionally we have deaf-led performances as part of our programme which have audio description in English. These performances include the icon BSL.
Captioned
We offer some performances with captions. These performances include the icon CAP.
Audio Described
We offer some performances with audio description. These performances include the icon AD
Relaxed Performance
A relaxed performance is where the environment and performance conventions of the event are relaxed. These performances are ideal for people with learning disabilities or autism, or anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment. A relaxed performance will have:
- Heightened lighting where you sit in the auditorium
- A chill-out room where you and the other people you come with can go if they need quiet time during the show
We often programme relaxed performances, particularly when we have events over multiple days. But we tend to be quite relaxed about all our performances. If you have any questions about etiquette requirements, please feel free to ask a member of the team beforehand.
Relaxed performances include the icon R>.
Assistance Dogs
All assistance dogs are welcome across our venue and in all our performance spaces. Our staff are trained to know how to behave around working dogs. Please ask if there’s anything we can do to help.
Sensory Access
We understand that people with sensory sensitivities can find some environments challenging. Our staff are trained to work with people with sensory needs and can help you with a range of different things.
Chill-out room
We have a chill-out room for customers who need it. It contains a range of sensory toys and some comfortable seats and plants. It is cleaned every day. Please ask a member of staff and they will show you to it.
Sensory Packs
We offer disposable ear plugs for anyone who wants them. These are available from our Stewards.
We also offer small packs of sensory aids to help people enjoy their experience with us when they are feeling a bit challenged by the environment. You can collect a pack from our Box Office when you arrive at Bristol Beacon. When these are available, we recommend reserving a pack in advance by emailing access@bristolbeacon.org.
The sensory packs contain a range of selected materials and tools which can help you relax, including the following:
- Ear Defenders
- Stress Ball
- Tangle Fidget Toy
- Woody Worm Fidget
All items are cleaned before being given out and you can keep them until you leave. Please hand them back to a member of staff when you leave.
Exit and re-entry
We allow access customers to leave the auditorium and re-enter if they need to have a break. We ask that this is only done when needed, to make sure that everyone enjoys the show as much as possible, but you should feel confident and comfortable leaving and re-entering if you need to. If you are worried about doing this, ask the steward nearest to you and they will be able to help.
Strobe lighting
Strobe lighting is rarely used in performances. We will put warning signs on auditorium entry doors of any event where it is used. Where possible we will communicate strobe lighting warnings to audiences ahead of their visit on the website event page an in pre-event emails.
Trigger/content warmings
We ask all artists to provide us with information about their shows which might cause some people distress and will add this to our event pages on the website.
This information might include:
- lighting and sound
- the content and/or theme of the performance
If you feel that you need to leave the auditorium because you feel uncomfortable, for any reason, our stewards will be happy to help.
Other help when you’re here
If you need any information or assistance while you’re visiting us, please ask a member of staff. Our stewards will be dressed in blue shirts with Bristol Beacon logos on.
Here are some things to be aware of in our building that will help you when you visit:
- Lowered bars at our cafes, bars and restaurants
- Lowered bars at our box office
- An induction hearing loop at our box office
- Seating at box office if you can’t queue
- Seating in Bridgehouse, our foyer space, if you can’t queue before doors open
Accessible formats
Accessible formats for information documents and brochures are available on request. These formats include:
- Large print
- Easy read
- Audio description
Please email access@bristolbeacon.org if you would like to request an accessible format.
More access resources
Access Events
Access Events
We offer BSL, captioned, relaxed and audio-described performances in our programme.
Access Statement
Access Statement
Our website has been designed and developed to be accessible to as many people as possible. Find out more about the accessibility standard our website aims to meet to give you the best experience.
Travel guide
Travel guide
View step-free routes and visual guides to help you plan your visit to Bristol Beacon.