Access
BOOKING ACCESS TICKETS
In order to book access tickets, you will require a Nimbus Access Card or Digital Access Pass. Please see below for further details.
Online
Please provide your Nimbus number in the Order Comments section of your booking alongside any information that you think might be useful for us to know and our Front of House team will be able to accommodate all reasonable adjustments.
Unfortunately, our box office platform does not yet allow us to offer Essential Companion tickets online. If your Nimbus card has the +1 symbol, please call the Box Office on 020 8340 3488 or email gatehouse@chromolume.co.uk in order to make your booking.
By Phone
You can book over the phone on 020 8340 3488. Please be ready to quote your Nimbus number.
In Person
We can also accept bookings in person at the Box Office. Please ensure you have your Nimbus number with you.
DIGITAL ACCESS PASS
To ensure we offer the best and most inclusive service possible, we’ve teamed up with Nimbus Disability, creators of the Access Card—a universal way to communicate your access needs.
Nimbus Disability is a social enterprise run by and for disabled people, and is widely recognised as a leading authority on accessible ticketing in the UK. This scheme is also used by ATG, Delfont Mackintosh, and other major venues across the country.
We require all access bookers to provide us with a Nimbus registration number in order to qualify for available access provisions including seat reservations and essential companion tickets. Registering is a three-step process, is valid for three years, and is completely free.
If you are not able to use online forms, Nimbus can assist with telephone registration on 0330 808 5108.
The Access Card
While the Upstairs at the Gatehouse Digital Access Pass is free, you can alternatively upgrade to a full Access Card for £15 which remains valid for 3 years and is accepted by a wide range of venues. Please note that if you already have an Access Card, there is no need to re-register.
The full Access Card provides you with the same benefits as the free registration alongside:
- Being recognised at venues across the UK & beyond,
- Unlocking potential free companion tickets at events and venues across the UK,
- Providing a Photo ID card with symbols relating to accessibility needs,
- Giving you access to an informative online access directory,
- Allowing you to join a closed Facebook Community group.
What Happens Next?
When your application has been processed successfully, Nimbus will provide you with a unique registration number which you can quote when booking tickets over the phone or note in an order comment when booking online. This allows the Box Office staff to offer you tailored support for your requirements without ever having cause to see the detail behind why you need accessible seating options.
The ticketing platform we use does not currently allow for this process to be self-service online, but they are looking to implement this feature in the near future.
ACCESS SCHEME FAQS
Nimbus Disability is a social enterprise and an organisation run by and for disabled people. It is recognised as a leading authority on accessible ticketing in the UK. Nimbus developed the Access Card in response to frustrations shared by disabled people and a major live music promoter in how disability was evidenced and needs for reasonable adjustments communicated.
For disabled people, the frustration was in repeatedly sending in personal documents which bore no direct relation to the needs of the individual. For the venues, it was challenging to interpret these documents and outside the expertise of staff to adjudicate appropriate access provisions. Since its initial development, the card is now widely accepted at major event venues across the UK and beyond.
We take our customer access needs very seriously and want to improve the booking journey for people with access requirements.
This partnership allows for access requirements to be communicated easily, effectively, and discreetly to our Box Office team without customers having to disclose any sensitive information. It enables us to fully understand the access requirements of our customers and provide reasonable adjustments, such as access to certain seating and essential companion tickets ensuring that the right provisions are available to the people who need them.
Nimbus is a Social Enterprise that has received international recognition for operating the Access Card Scheme. Nimbus is run by, and for, disabled people. The system offers greater privacy, as disabled people with access requirements will no longer need to carry supporting documents or explain circumstances to staff. You’ll only need to supply information once to the Nimbus team, who can then issue you with an Access Card or a Digital Access Pass reference number depending on which route you choose when signing up.
In most cases, yes! Please provide your Nimbus number in the Order Comments section of your order alongside any information that you think might be useful for us to know and our Front of House team will be able to accommodate all reasonable adjustments.
Unfortunately, our box office platform does not yet allow us to offer Essential Companion tickets online. If your Nimbus card has the +1 symbol, please call the Box Office on 020 8340 3488 or email gatehouse@chromolume.co.uk in order to make your booking.
As of October 1st 2024, visitors with access requirements who wish to qualify for access provisions available at the time of booking must register their requirements through Nimbus. There are two routes for registration:
Route 1: Upstairs at the Gatehouse Digital Access Pass (Free)
You can apply for a free access registration. This will be recognised at Upstairs at the Gatehouse only and will be valid for three years.
To complete your free access registration, please click here.
Route 2: The Access Card (£15)
If you would prefer, you can upgrade to a full Access Card application.
The Access Card costs £15 for three years of membership. The full card provides you with the same benefits as the free registration, as well as:
- Recognised at venues across the UK and beyond
- Potential free companion tickets at events and venues across the UK
- A Photo ID card with symbols relating to accessibility needs
- Informative online access directory
- Access to a closed Facebook Community group
To register a full Access Card for £15 for three years, click here.
When you register, Nimbus Disability will handle all your information securely and safely without us ever having cause to see the detail behind why you need accessible seating options.
The quickest and easiest way to apply is via the website, but Nimbus do have the ability to undertake a phone application for those that require it. You will need to call 0330 808 5108 to book a date and time for a phone application.
Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an email from Nimbus Disability to confirm the application has been received. Nimbus will process the application in due course, with average processing times being within five working days.
If Nimbus has received everything needed from you and can fully process your application, you will receive a confirmation email and the subject line will contain your registration number and general advice on how to use it. You can then quote this number when booking over the phone. If you have applied for the Access Card, the email will also include details regarding the physical card, which will be delivered to you.
If, for any reason, Nimbus is unable to process your application you will receive a follow-up email that will detail what else is needed to finalise your application.
The Access Card is a universal way of conveying your access requirement with organisations and ticketing systems in the UK and beyond.
Access Cards are £15 for 3 years and can be used at thousands of venues and events. You can view the Access Card directory here.
The Upstairs at the Gatehouse Digital Access Pass is a free way of conveying your access requirements with us specifically. You still go through the same process, but receive a confirmation email with your Digital Access Pass number but no physical card. It lasts for 3 years and you can always upgrade to a full Access Card at any point.
If you’re having any issues registering, or if you have questions about your application, please contact Nimbus directly by email at cards@accesscard.online or by calling 0330 808 5108.
Alternatively, you can check if your question has been answered on their FAQs page here.
GENERAL ACCESS FAQS
We are very sorry but Upstairs at the Gatehouse does not yet have step-free access. We are actively fundraising to improve our accessibility.
There are 17 steps, including a landing, with handrails on both sides up to the Box Office level and a further three steps up to the auditorium.
Our Front of House team will endeavour to make your visit as comfortable as possible. If you hold an Upstairs at the Gatehouse Digital Access Pass or an Access Card, please quote your reference number when booking online or over the phone so that we can accommodate any access requirements.
Hearing Loop System
The auditorium is fitted with a hearing loop system.
Assistance Dogs
If you’d like to bring your assistance dog into the auditorium, please let us know when you book your ticket so that we can reserve an aisle seat and inform you of any special effects in the show which might affect your dog.
Via our Access Scheme, we provide a complimentary essential companion ticket to those who require them. Please read above for further details on how to register or book these tickets.
Any dogs trained under an Assistance Dogs International organisation are welcome at the theatre. If you’d like to bring your assistance dog into the auditorium with you, please leave a note when you book or give us a call. This is so that we can reserve you an aisle seat and inform you of any special effects which might affect your dog.
Alternatively, you can leave your assistance dog with our Box Office team. The Gatehouse pub is also dog-friendly!
There are a few different sizes, but our main seating bank consists of seats with about 43cm of space. In our main seating bank, there are several rows with lift-up armrests that can fold out of the way for your comfort. Side banks do not include armrests. Please see this video for more details, and get in touch with us if you have any further questions.