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If you can’t find what you are looking for please feel free to call us on 01179 293301 or email us office@theklabristol.co.uk
Due to the unique structure and layout of Thekla we have limited disabled access but we will do what we can to enable your visit and make it enjoyable.
We are unable to offer a level access route into the venue but we are happy to offer free Essential Companion tickets to enable those that require assistance making their way into or around the ship. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept motorised wheelchairs.
If you require a companion ticket, please email office@theklabristol.co.uk
Essential Companion tickets are extremely limited, as are accessible seating. This is due to the capacity of the venue and the amount of space available for customers. If you require a companion for your accessibility needs please reach out to use as soon as or before your ticket. We cannot always guarantee space for these requirements.
We want everyone to be able to enjoy live music safely at Thekla, the more we know about your needs and the earlier we know them – the more we can help.
If you are attending a gig
Please note that the venue is fully standing.
We have seating available in our middle deck area where you can hear the entertainment in the main room but there is no visibility of the stage.
If you are unable to stand for the duration of the event, we are able to provide chairs on our balcony area. There is nowhere in the venue that avoids stairs, but the balcony is the shortest distance from the front door to a viewing area and has a staircase which is made up of 9 steps. We can only offer a limited number of chairs per event and may not be able to accommodate every request. Please only request the number of chairs that are essential so that we can fulfil as many requests as possible. Your friends will be able to stand alongside you.
Requests must be sent to office@theklabristol.co.uk , please send your requests before booking tickets if this is essential for your visit.
The main toilets are on the same floor as the balcony. We do not have disabled toilet facilities but we can help facilitate access to the toilet of a companion of any gender if required.
If you are attending a club night event
In addition to the middle deck within the main room we can offer a seating area in the top deck.
We do not recommend wheelchair users to go to the lower deck of the venue due to the number of stairs. If you would like to enjoy the main room entertainment the balcony is the least number of steps and the shortest distance from the entry point. There is a set of stairs made up of 9 steps and we can offer a chair in this area upon request.
For those that need to avoid stairs or are unable to leave a wheelchair, we can offer access to the top deck bar area via the gang plank ramp at the back of the boat which will reduce your journey down to just a couple of steps.
There are specific answers to individual questions in the dropdown sections below.
If you would like to talk to someone further about specifics for our venue, please call 0117 929 3301 or email office@theklabristol.co.uk and we will endeavour to answer all your queries.
Where possible please inform the venue if you bringing essential or prescribed medication into the venue via email to office@theklabristol.co.uk. This will help ensure smooth entry to the venue on the night.
Due to the current layout of our venue we have limited disabled access, we are currently unable to accept motorised wheelchairs. If you would like to talk to someone further about specifics for our venue please call 0117 929 3301 and we will endeavor to answer all your queries.
Level Access is incredibly difficult to provide but we welcome as many disabled people as we can and offer free Essential Companion tickets to enable those that are able to access the venue. Access Cards offer automatic entitlement to the free companion ticket.
Seating can be provided on request and Access Card holders with difficulty standing and queuing can get in touch to arrange early entry.
Wheelchair Access at Thekla is significantly limited due to the size and shape of the venue, and it’s previous life as a cargo ship. We do not recommend wheelchair users to go to the lower deck of the venue due to the number of stairs. We can provide seating on our balcony, to which there are nine normal sized steps from the door. There are toilets on this level but there are no fully accessible toilets on the boat. We cannot assist in carrying any individuals or wheelchairs; please bring someone strong enough as your free pass if required (see below). If you would like to talk to someone further about specifics for our venue please call 0117 929 3301 and we will endeavour to answer all your queries.
There is accessible Council-operated parking in front of the venue on The Grove. The live venue area of Thekla is in the hull of the ship and lift access is not possible. There is nowhere in the venue that avoids stairs, the shortest distance is to the balcony which is made up of 9 steps.
We do not have disabled toilet facilities, but will provide assistance - if needed - to use the existing toilets we have on the middle and top deck.
Given the nature of the venue, we would discourage customers from bringing assistance dogs with them during shows and busy periods. We do however offer an essential companion concession in these instances.
Customers with accessibility difficulties who need a full-time assistant in order to attend the event are eligible to purchase 2-for-1 tickets, in order to bring a personal assistant or carer to the event at no extra cost. To apply for a 2-for-1 ticket, please book a standard entry ticket and then email proof of eligibility through to office@theklabristol.co.uk. We accept the Access Card as proof of eligibility and will provide the stated assistant tickets for that card.
For customers with difficulty accessing visual information, our phone line can provide you with additional information to meet your needs.
For customers with difficulty accessing audible information pre-visit feel free to use type talk to get in touch or any of the other communication methods via our website.
For more information please go to: http://www.accesscard.org.uk/providers/thekla/
For all gig and club events at Thekla, please book a standard entry ticket through official outlets and then email proof of eligibility to office@theklabristol.co.uk. Any of the below are accepted, in addition, we will review an application without these forms of evidence on a case-by-case basis.
Once your request has been received and approved we will email you back with further information as to how your personal assistant ticket will be issued.
If paying on the door, disabled customers will have to pay for entry but their personal assistant will not. Please note that if advance tickets are available for a club night, the process is the same as for concerts (above).
For any additional enquiries please contact us on 0117 292 3301