Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre
Overview
Birmingham Hippodrome is on a mission to provide that "goosebumps" feeling through memorable and extraordinary experiences. Our vision is clear, we want a "distinctive, world-class Birmingham cultural scene with the Hippodrome at its heart". As one of the biggest providers of arts and culture in the city, the Hippodrome provides over a million people a year with those same goosebumps moments through our on and off stage programmes and performances.
Contact details
Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Hurst Street Southside Birmingham West Midlands B5 4TB United Kingdom
https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/plan-your-visit/access/
Access Card notes
Either log in or create an online account with us. When you've logged in, go to the 'access preferences' tab and submit your registration number. You will then be able to see all the discounts and relevant tickets to suit your individual needs.
A free registration is available at this venue as an alternative to an Access Card. Please use the link below to begin your application. Please note, if you already have an Access Card, you don't need to apply again. Simply provide your name and Access Card ID number to the venue. Click here to start your registration
Access guidance
- We have a limited amount of seating available on each of our foyers Levels 1-4 and at the Main Hurst Street entrance. This is a mixture of padded bench style seating, sofas and arm chairs. If you require a table allocating close to the entrance in The Proscenium Lounge or The Circle Lounge, please request this at the time of booking. Please note that some of the seats in The Circle Lounge do not have arm rests, so if you require a seat with arm rests, please request this in the information box at the time of booking. Staff and Volunteers are available to advise customers of those bars that attract the shortest queues, and direct customers to the most accessible or shortest routes around the venue. For most main house performances, interval orders can be placed for drinks, snacks and ice creams at any of our bars or kiosks. These are available to collect from a designated collection point on each foyer level (Levels 1-4) to avoid the need to queue in the interval.
- Limited disabled parking is available on Hurst Street and Thorp Street. The Arcadian Centre Car Park has specially allocated bays with easy access to street level and only about 150 yds to our entrance. To gain entry to the theatre (Main Entrance, Hurst St), there are automatic doors with a push button on the right, leading to either 6 steps or a ramp into the main foyer area. Lifts are available for wheelchair users to all levels 1-4. Wheelchair positions both in our main auditorium and Patrick Studio – which can be booked via the website by registering on our access registration scheme, by calling us or in person at the box office (please note box office is open 1.5 hours prior to a performance and 30 minutes after it starts). We have accessible unisex and ambulant disabled toilets on all levels 1-4. 3x wheelchair accessible toilets in stalls (L1), 1x front circle (L2), 2x Middle Circle (L3), 1x Upper Circle (L4). Ambulant toilets are located in male and female toilets on L1-3 and in the Gender Neutral Toilets on L4 All bars, kiosks, The Coffee Bar, The Proscenium Lounge and The Circle Lounge are wheelchair accessible via lifts. Low-level counter service is provided on all bars (located on Level 1, 2, 3). The Proscenium Lounge is wheelchair accessible with double doors to provide access. No chairs or tables are permanently fixed. The Circle Lounge is wheelchair accessible. Please note that we do have some higher poseur tables and some tables with fixed banquette style seating, so please do mention at the time of booking if you require a lower level table or movable seat. There are two wheelchair accessible toilets with grab rails, emergency pull cords. A limited number of wheelchairs are available to borrow during your visit (pre-book via the Ticket Sales team).
- Here are some of the distances you may need to walk: • Front door to lifts – 40 paces • Lifts to furthest auditorium door – 42 paces • Lifts to MCL access spaces – 42 paces • Lifts to Stall left lounge (furthest lounge) – 30 paces • Furthest auditorium doors to toilets – 51 paces
- All toilets are located on the right hand side of the building so if you require urgent toilet access it's best to book aisle seats closest to the auditorium entrances on auditorium right (low seat numbers) as these are closest to loos.
- Assistance dogs are welcome to go into the auditorium with you, however some performances have special effects eg: gun shots, smoke, haze. If you require a member of the Front of House team to look after your dog please register this when booking your tickets. Our trained Front of House team will toilet your dogs should you require. We do have wheelchair lounges that some audience members find useful for their dogs as there is more space for them to stretch out.
- Yes – we offer 2 for 1 for disabled patrons who require the service/support of a companion.
- We regularly offer Captioned Performances. Captioning is similar to television subtitling and gives deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people access to live performances. The actors' words appear on a display unit at the same time as they are spoken or sung. Speaker names, sound effects and off stage noises are also shown.
- Tour Guide system In the Main Auditorium (Stalls only) and the Patrick studio we use a Sennheiser Wireless RF Tour Guide system for enhancing volume for each user or to provide Audio Description on these selected performances. We have 3 different personal receivers available: HDE 2020-D-I earphones. EK 2020-D-II digital bodypack receiver to use with own headphones via a mini jack. EZT 3012 Induction neck loop with a EK 2020-D-II digital bodypack receiver for those with a hearing aid with a 'T' option This system provides the show audio for every performance and the audio description/show audio & audio description mixed, for selected performances. If you'd like a receiver for the Tour Guide system, just ask at our Access Assistance Point in the main entrance foyer. We also regularly offer Touch Tours before each Audio Described performance and regular BSL interpreted performances.
- Access Assistance Point Our Access Assitance Point is located at the top of the ramp at the main Hurst Street Entrance. Here, customers can access the following: Access Sign Live via a Tablet Scribble Pad to communicate with staff Be issued with Headsets Request a lanyard for use during their visit Collect pre-booked wheelchairs Collect Ear Defenders Collect receivers for our infrared amplification system Request assistance from staff members and ask any questions that they may have