Start with the events you would like to attend, then ask about the practical support you need at their actual venues. The comparison below brings together the published access information described in our festival guides. It is not a ranking and does not promise the same provision in every room. A wheelchair space, companion ticket, hearing-support system or interpreted event can have its own booking route. Follow the official access link and confirm essential details before paying. Keep the reply with your ticket so the agreed entrance, seat or assistance can be found on the day.
Published access information by festival
| Festival | Published access provision and official contact |
|---|---|
| Cheltenham Literature Festival | The organiser offers an access booking process for wheelchair users, people with visual impairments, d/Deaf visitors and people with particular seating or sensory requirements. It publishes personal assistant ticket arrangements with exclusions for events including a book or meal. Read the current eligibility and booking information and contact the team before buying if your visit depends on a particular arrangement. |
| Aye Write | The organiser’s access page identifies the Concert Hall’s north entrance on Killermont Street for wheelchair access and advises visitors to discuss stair-free seating with the box office. The venue’s own page describes lift access from that entrance and says hearing-loop provision varies by room and event. Check the Strathclyde Suite or whichever room is on your ticket rather than assuming the main auditorium’s facilities apply. |
| Bath Literature Festival | Bath Festivals’ accessibility booking page explains an online route for wheelchair and Essential Companion tickets through Bath Box Office. It describes updating access requirements in the account settings and gives a contact route for help. Read the current instructions before selecting tickets, since the page also describes changes to the access scheme. |
| Bloody Scotland | The official access page gives venue-specific information rather than one identical arrangement everywhere. It describes a rear lift approach at the Golden Lion, a hearing loop and step-free approach at Albert Halls, a lift to the event space at Made in Stirling, and a ground-floor ramp and accessible toilet at The Cowane. Read the complete current entry for the room you will use. Contact the festival before booking to discuss companion tickets, wheelchair spaces and the specific support you need. |
| Chalke History Festival | The official access page links to the organiser’s accessibility statement and asks visitors to contact the team with specific questions. It describes mobility-scooter hire through Event Mobility, which must be arranged directly in advance. Read the statement for the edition you are attending before relying on a feature described in an earlier document. |
| Durham Book Festival | The organiser’s access information describes lifts and accessible toilets at Gala Durham, wheelchair spaces arranged through booking, and personal assistant tickets for disabled customers needing support. It also describes amplification equipment at Gala and lifts, accessible toilets and a loop at Clayport Library. Contact the team about support at other named venues. |
| Edinburgh International Book Festival | The festival publishes a detailed access page covering its Access Team, Quiet Space, Changing Places facility, mobility aids and hearing support. It identifies BSL-interpreted and captioned events and explains the arrangements for assistance tickets. Use these details as the starting point for a conversation about the events you want. Official access information. |
| Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival | Harrogate International Festivals operates an Access Scheme and asks visitors to arrange access bookings in advance. Its information covers wheelchair spaces, mobility aids, personal assistant or companion arrangements and venue-specific support. Contact the box office about the particular combination you need rather than assuming a general event ticket also reserves suitable seating. Access information. |
| Hay Festival | The festival describes covered boardwalks, wheelchair access to site facilities and bookable wheelchair spaces. It also provides information about hearing support, accessible toilets, a quiet room and carer tickets. Contact the access team or box office about the combination you need, especially where a seat, parking space or interpreting arrangement must be organised in advance. Hay Festival access information. |
| Henley Literary Festival | The festival access page asks visitors to contact the box office in advance about access or seating requirements. It describes accessible venues, assistance on arrival and arrangements for requesting BSL interpretation. It also distinguishes virtual-event captioning from in-person provision. Check the current arrangements for your actual event rather than transferring an online feature to a room booking. |
| Ilkley Literature Festival | The organiser’s access page asks visitors needing a wheelchair space, aisle seat or Essential Companion ticket to call the box office. It describes the glass link corridor entrance at All Saints’ Church and Church House, a ramped approach at Clarke Foley Centre, and accessible entrance arrangements at King’s Hall and Ilkley Playhouse. Read the detail for your room before travelling. |
| Oxford Literary Festival | The organiser’s accessibility page links to detailed information for the university and college venues. It states that the main venues are accessible and many have hearing loops, but that does not confirm the precise entrance, seat or support arrangement for every visitor. Read the page for the room you will use and ask directly about your requirements. |
| Stratford Literary Festival | The festival FAQ describes step-free Crowne Plaza venues, an accessible toilet and a personal-assistant arrangement for eligible bookings. The terms explain the relevant wheelchair and disabled-ticket categories. Check the route and eligibility before buying so that the booking matches the space and support you need. |
| Wigtown Book Festival | The official access page says an updated access guide is produced each year. It covers wheelchair access, parking, toilets, induction loops, subtitles and travel and accommodation. Access maps are available at the box office, and large-print documents can be requested. Use the guide for the edition you are attending rather than an old saved copy. The organiser also describes induction loops in main venues, free carer tickets through the box office and Wigtown Library as a quiet space. |
| Hay Festival Winter Weekend | The winter access page describes a gently sloping compacted-gravel approach to the Castle Marquee from Oxford Road. Wheelchair spaces should be discussed when booking. It also describes hearing support at the Castle Marquee and St Mary’s Church, accessible toilets and a route for arranging carer tickets. Confirm the specific room and support you need rather than assuming every event has identical provision. |
| Bath Children's Literature Festival | The Bath Festivals access-booking page describes online wheelchair and Essential Companion ticket arrangements through account preferences. It also gives a help route and explains that the access scheme is being updated. Read its current instructions before selecting tickets and contact the team about the specific event and support you need. |
| Cambridge Literary Festival | The festival’s visitor page describes wheelchair access, hearing loops and accessible toilets at its venues, with advance contact for reserved seating and assistance. It also explains its free carer-ticket route for registered disabled audience members and welcomes guide, helping and hearing dogs. Contact the festival about the exact event and room you want before completing the booking. Explain what would make the visit workable rather than relying on the general description alone. |
| Bradford Literature Festival | Bradford Literature Festival directs visitors to the location section of each event for venue access details and asks people to give their requirements when booking. Its booking page and FAQ also ask for advance contact with the box office, including where additional support or a chaperone is needed. Explain the practical support that would make the event work for you, giving the session name, time and room. A general statement about an accessible venue does not reserve a particular arrangement. |
| Manchester Literature Festival | The organiser's booking information says its event venues have wheelchair access and directs visitors to individual venue details. It offers a Carer Goes Free booking route through the relevant box office and invites contact about BSL interpretation or other needs. Ask about the precise session, room and support you require before buying. A general festival statement does not reserve a wheelchair space or confirm that every event has the same hearing, caption or interpreting provision. |
| Off the Shelf Festival of Words | The festival access page describes step-free wheelchair access at its venues and says that facilities vary by site. Some events include BSL interpretation, audio assistance or relaxed seating. That is not a promise of every feature at every session. Use the venue link on the event page and contact the team about the particular arrangement you need. Ask before choosing an ordinary ticket if a wheelchair space or companion arrangement affects the purchase. |
| Charleston Festival | Use Charleston’s access contact, access@charleston.org.uk, to discuss the actual event, seat and route you need. Its access page asks visitors to contact the team for an accessible seat or wheelchair space. Explain the practical requirement before buying, and keep the response with the ticket. General information about the grounds does not reserve a suitable place in the Festival Tent or confirm the support available for a different activity. |
| Wimbledon BookFest | Contact the box office about the exact event and room. The organiser describes step-free routes and accessible toilets in its general access information, and it offers a companion-ticket enquiry route. However, an individual 2026 event notice identified the Old Hall at Wimbledon High School as having no level access. Ask about the room on your own ticket rather than assuming a general description of the building covers every event space. |
| Boswell Book Festival | Contact the festival before booking if you need advice about a venue, seating or the route from parking. Its location information says that only ground-floor venues are wheelchair accessible, so check the precise venue for each event. |
| Capital Crime | Capital Crime’s FAQs confirm wheelchair accessibility and accessible facilities at the new venue. They link to the venue’s access information and invite visitors with questions to contact info@capitalcrime.org. |
| Chiswick Book Festival | The festival describes accessible provision at the Church, Parish Hall, Chiswick House Garden Pavilion, George IV and Chiswick Cinema. |
| Dartmouth Book Festival | The Flavel’s visitor information describes a shallow ramp at the front entrance and a lift to all floors. |
| Lichfield Literature Festival | Contact the festival before booking if you need information about a venue, seating, a carer ticket or the approach from a station or car park. |
| StAnza | The Byre’s official festival information describes level access at both entrances and a lift to all floors. It also identifies wheelchair spaces in the Auditorium and Studio. |
Ask about the whole visit
Describe the task you need help with: reaching the entrance, using a particular seat, hearing the conversation, finding an accessible toilet or leaving between sessions. Give the festival the event name, time and room. A clear request is more helpful than trying to infer everything from a general access label. Ask about any companion or personal-assistant ticket before completing the purchase, including eligibility and whether a separate reservation is required.
If hearing support matters, ask which system applies to that room and whether seat position changes reception. BSL interpretation, captions and a loop are different provisions. A streamed event’s captioning does not confirm in-person support, and a main auditorium’s equipment does not necessarily cover a smaller room. For sensory needs, ask about the event environment and any quiet space for the edition you will attend. Keep the answers tied to the actual booking.
Join the entrance to the journey
Check the route from the railway station, parking or drop-off to the entrance the team gives you. A step-free building does not by itself confirm a step-free journey from your accommodation. Ask transport operators about their services and accommodation providers about the specific room and bathroom. The festival’s support does not automatically extend to a hotel, a bus or a separate attraction.
Leave enough space between events if they use different buildings or if a queue would make the transfer difficult. A less crowded timetable may make the visit more comfortable. If an event moves venue after booking, confirm the new entrance, seating and facilities instead of relying on the original reply. The train guide and stay pages help you compare the other parts of the trip.
Before setting out
Save the access-team reply, booking reference and contact details offline. Confirm any equipment hire, parking or assistance that needs advance reservation. Read current official updates for the edition and check transport notices for your travel date. If someone is travelling with you, share the entrance and meeting plan so you are not dependent on one phone. On arrival, follow the organiser’s instructions and tell the steward about the arrangement already agreed with the team.