Adelaide Festival Centre welcomes everyone. We are committed to being an inclusive and accessible venue for people of all identities and background.
- Our venues
- How to book accessible seating
- Discounts and concessions: Companion Card
- Access services in venue
- Audio assistance
- Social stories
- Theatre seat maps
- Access symbols
Our venues
Adelaide Festival Centre is comprised of four theatres across two venues:
How to book accessible seating
Online
Some shows now have the option to book accessible seating on the Ticketek website; online booking is not currently available for all shows.
By phone
Please contact 131 246 (8:30am-6pm, Monday-Friday, excluding public holidays) and advise the operator of your access requirements so that we can tell you everything you need to know and offer the best possible seating available.
In person
Ticketek Outlets are open at various times.
Via email
You can also email your booking request to: ticketrequests@adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
Non-ticketed and free events
If you are attending a free non-ticketed event and you have access requirements, please email us or call 08 8216 8600 during business hours (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday).
Discounts and concessions: Companion Card
Many presenters at Adelaide Festival Centre are Companion Card affiliates. Please check with the operator when making your booking. Concession cards must be produced on request.
For further information about access facilities and to book access services, please email us.
Access services in venue
At Her Majesty’s Theatre, lifts are located in the foyer near the information desk with access to all levels.
At Festival Theatre, lifts to upper levels are available on either side of the theatre near Doors 4 and 8.
At Dunstan Playhouse, to travel up to the Children’s Artspace, a ramp is available outside the Space Theatre Bar and a lift is available outside beside the Adelaide Railway Station.
Accessible toilets are available at all Adelaide Festival Centre venues.
Adelaide Festival Centre's standard straws are a hard paper. Plastic straws are available for patrons who require them, please request one from your food and beverage attendant.
Every theatre and event/function area of Adelaide Festival Centre is assistance animal friendly.
Please phone 131 246 or advise the operator when you are booking tickets if you require a loan wheelchair during your visit.
Wheelchairs can be collected at your venue concierge desk pre-show and must be returned within 20 minutes of the show finishing. Patrons will be required to leave a driver's license, credit card, or government issued photo ID as a deposit until the wheelchair is returned. Wheelchairs must not be taken off site. Please coordinate patron pick-up and drop-off locations accordingly.
Unfortunately we cannot provide staff to assist with patron wheelchair use unless there is an emergency. Adelaide Festival Centre participates in the Companion Card program for patrons who require support during their visit.
Audio assistance
Audience members who require hearing assistance are now able to enjoy the show via the Beyerdynamic Hearing System.
In the Festival Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Dunstan Playhouse and Space Theatre, patrons may borrow a small transmitter pack with the choice of either an inductive neck loop (for use with a hearing aid with a t-setting) or a set of headphones (for patrons without a hearing aid or a hearing aid without a T-Setting) to amplify the performance. Patrons may also bring their own headphones if they desire.
Transmitter packs are available on a first come first served basis. Patrons should arrive at least half an hour before the performance to collect their pack from the venue's information or concierge desk. Patrons will be required to leave a driver's licence or some form of approved photo ID as a deposit until the pack is returned.
Available for selected performances only.
Designed to enhance the experience of blind and vision impaired patrons, the Audio Description Service provided by Access2Arts includes pre-show audio introductory notes, a touch tour prior to each Audio Described performance, and cast and creative credits available in Braille and Large Print.
Preshow audio introductory notes are available prior to the date of the performance on the presenting company’s website or by requesting an audio CD. Patrons can explore the space and may handle selected props, costumes and furniture during a guided or tactile Touch Tour prior to the live performance.
Headsets can be collected in the venue foyer before the performance with an audio introduction normally starting 15 minutes before the start of the performance.
State Theatre Company South Australia offers two audio described performances during each season and Adelaide Festival offers audio description of selected performances. A number of other presenters offer audio description at Adelaide Festival Centre venues. Please check with the operator if the performance is audio described.
Patrons can book by requesting an 'Audio Description Headset' when calling 131 246.
For more information on audio description and to request a pre-show audio on CD, please contact Access2Arts by email or phone: 0498 707 563 (voice/text).
Social stories
These visual documents have been designed to assist people who are autistic or anyone who likes to prepare in advance for their visit to our theatres.
Theatre seat maps
Our downloadable seat maps detail wheelchair access points, entry doors, stairs, and even show you how close you'll be to the stage.
Access symbols
Look for following symbols on show pages:
Wheelchair access
You may need to book specific wheelchair accessible seats depending on the venue. Please see the access notes on the show page and ensure you book accordingly.
Assistive Listening
Make sure you tell the ticketing representative you are seeing an interpreted performance so they can provide the best seating for you to see the interpreter.
Auslan
Auslan (Australian Sign Language) is used by the Deaf community in Australia. Auslan Interpretation is offered for select performances. Make sure you tell the ticketing representative you are seeing an interpreted performance so they can provide the best seating for you to see the interpreter.
Audio Description
Audio Description (AD) is a narration that provides detailed information and descriptions of the visual elements of a performance. Through a small radio receiver the patron receives a spoken description of visual elements by a trained audio describer.
Relaxed Performance
Relaxed Performances (RP) are adapted to create a more relaxed environment.
Captioning
Captioning turns audio content, such as dialogue and other sounds, into text for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
Open Captions
Open captioning is clearly and publicly displayed, often on screens or as part of embedded visual performance elements, for everyone to see; enabling the whole audience to read the captions.
Closed Captions
Closed captioning offers you the option to turn captions on or off, depending on your preference.
Visual Eye Symbols
The Visual Eye Symbols indicates what percentage of a performance or event is visually accessible for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Visual Eye Symbol 100
No music of dialogue or all dialogue is open captioned.
Visual Eye Symbol 75
Fully open captioned providing access to spoken word but not background music or sounds.
Visual Eye Symbol 50
May have music/sounds in the background, or may be partly open captioned or scripts/descriptions are given to the audience before the event on request.