Live music venues not doing enough for disabled gig-goers, says report

UK charity, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign have accused music venues and event promoters are not doing enough to ensure disabled music fans can attend their gigs.

The report issued this week also states that the tickets for disabled people are only attainable via a premium rate telephone line, with a ‘proof of disability’ policy that can sometimes take so long to be accepted that they could miss the gig.

Project manager of the compaign, Bobby Ancil says:

“For many, going to concerts, gigs and festivals is a fundamental part of being young. The live music scene in the UK is burgeoning, however if you are disabled, accessing live music can be far from straightforward. We have heard from many young disabled people who describe their experience of getting tickets to see their favourite band or artist perform live as ‘an absolute nightmare’ because of drawn-out, costly booking processes and company policies that separate disabled music lovers from their friends and family at a show as ‘inflexible’.”

You can read the report as a PDF here.

Photos by Steve Asenjo.