Reading Festival praised by Attitude is Everything

Attitude is Everything, the charity that improves Deaf and disabled people’s access to live music, released their biennial 'State of Access Report' (here) where 228 mystery shoppers made reports about 159 venues and 69 festivals, with information also collated from 40 questionnaires, and 13 interviews produced between April 2011 and March 2013.

The report confirms that the presence of viewing platforms is the key to festival accessibility, and that the capacity of the event is a major factor when it comes to providing accessible experiences to disabled festival fans. 

In the report they concentrate on Reading Festival’s accessibility record over the past five years, and reveal that improvements on site have resulted in a 286% increase in ticket sales to Deaf and disabled people, their family and friends.

Over the past five years, Festival Republic has made significant improvements in order to make Reading Festival more accessible to Deaf and disabled customers, introducing additional viewing platforms including two platforms at both the Main Stage and the NME/Radio 1 tent, interchangeable Personal Assistant lanyards so that disabled customers can sit with different friends throughout the festival, and wheelchair charging points on the viewing platforms themselves. 

Their attention to the needs of disabled customers has paid off with Reading Festival selling £115,000 worth of disabled user tickets in 2013, up from just £40,000 in 2009. Reading Festival organisers that once you take into account food and drink expenditure, the total economic impact of making the festival more accessible leapt from £70k in 2009, to £187k in 2013.

The report highlights the presence of a viewing platform as the key factor influencing Deaf and disabled people’s experiences at festivals. Events throughout the last two years with a viewing platform were given an average rating of 6 out of 10 by Attitude is Everything’s ‘Mystery Shoppers’, compared with 4 out of 10 without.

The report also reveals that while larger festivals have proven to be more accessible, with Deaf and disabled Mystery Shoppers rating the access facilities at large festivals 8 out of 10, small festivals haven't done so well scoring just 5 out of 10.

Attitude is Everything believes this rating has been influenced by the fact that 88% of the large festivals surveyed offered good viewing platforms to enhance the view of the performance, compared with just 43% of small festivals with a capacity of less than 10,000 people. 

The State of Access Report is based on hundreds of ‘mystery shopping’ questionnaires from Deaf and disabled music fans, reporting on both UK venues and festivals.

Melvin Benn, Managing Director, Festival Republic, organisers of Reading, Leeds and Latitude festivals said,"Our commitment to improving the accessibility of our festivals is integral to our ability to create great festival experiences for all of our customers. By investing in the facilities and working in partnership with Attitude is Everything, we have been able to grow our disabled audience and are now reaping the rewards."

Jon Drape, Managing Director, Ground Control, organisers of Festival No. 6, Live from Jodrell Bank, Parklife and Kendall Calling festivals added, "By working with Attitude is Everything we learnt how everything from the festival site to the website could be designed in a way to make them more accessible, without having an impact on their functionality and feel, and for little or no cost. This learning has spread through the business and beyond - to our partners, our suppliers and the promoters we work with."

For those disabled festival goers considering Reading Festival this summer. The first headliner has been announced, as Blink 182 with their only UK show. Also in the first announcement were Jake Bugg, Disclosure, Metronomy, Of Mice & Men, Wilkinson and I Am Legion. Many more acts will be announced over the coming weeks and months.

For the full details please see the Reading Festival line-ups page.

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2014 weekend tickets are on sale at the price of £202.50, plus booking fees, and postage fees will apply per order. Campervan tickets are also on sale priced at £60, and early entry permits are priced at £15.

There is also a £50 deposit scheme, simply put down £50 now, and then pay three further instalments of £53.50 a month, which includes the booking fee, but with postage payable.  

Children under 13 (12 and under) are admitted free but MUST be accompanied by a ticket holding adult. Please note there is no separate children's area at this event, and eFestivals considers this an event not really suitable for small children.

All other ticket types will be available later in the year when the general sale happens.

Note: Tickets will not be on sale at the gate. There will be no box office of any kind. All tickets will be sent out to customers. 

Reading Festival takes place at Little Johns Farm, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, and it's sister event Leeds Festival takes place at Bramham Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire with both events happening over the weekend of Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th August 2014. 

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