Not disabled enough to access Hyde Park Concerts

WanderingWisteria · 09/06/2025 15:29
(I'm not quoting Wisteria's post as it is, of necessity long!)

This is a helpful, well-detailed description for anyone visiting the site for an event and should be printed and sent out with the tickets! The information about lighting and tips on egress in particular would be invaluable for many, I'm sure. Thank you x

You don’t need to take space from anyone by using a wheelchair?

I do get it, I spent hours in the welfare tent at BST last year, but they won’t change their rules, merely allow mobility aids which is reasonable

I dont think it’s the venues fault here tbh OP, you have asked them to change the rules re seats and they have said no. They have also confirmed mobility aids are allowed. I’m not sure about the bit where you say they haven’t recognised issues in your back not feet, as far as I see they haven’t mentioned either. So the ‘in tears’ bit, I get that it’s hard but you can take a wheelchair if you really need to be seated

Could you rent a walking frame with a seat . I know the Red Cross rent out these type of items

Sorry, I worded that badly - I meant that it's possible to be ambulant disabled and require accommodations without being eligible for PIP.

It does sound like a total faff, I'm an occasional wheelchair user and I don't think I'd want to be bothered with that, I appreciate full-time users have to sometimes, anyway go up to someone when you get there like you said and say you are disabled and where is the safest/,best place to sit, they should help you, I saw nobody picked up the phone how bloody frustrating.

It doesn't say Picnic blankets are banned. Just that you can't use them everywhere. Most people take a picnic blanket or take their jackets off and sit on those if it's nice. It did get a bit crazy last year as you couldn't walk easily around because of the blankets so I'm not surprised they are trying to enforce a bit of a path. Generally speaking, people sit and chill on their blankets and enjoy the support acts and then when the headline act comes, everyone stands up and starts to shuffle forwards. My daughter and I are seeing Sabrina Carpenter. This will be our fourth BST Hyde Park on the run. Can't wait!

Just seen your post about a wheelchair. I often push my own wheelchair empty until I need to use it. So couldn’t use just essentially use it as a mobile seat for when you need to sit down?

Can you not just bring a wheelchair or walker with seat? You wouldnt need any adjustments then as you’d have the seat, like with the stick/seat?

You can just sit in the grass? We were in the golden circle for Stray Kids last year and spent quite a lot of the run up sitting on the grass. If you’re in the main area they will be plenty of room.

I went to see Take That at Hyde Park a couple of years ago (see how the ‘not real
music’ brigade like that 😀)
Anyway, as others have said, there are lots of places to sit as long as you are not fussed about being in the thick of the crowd. The event felt very relaxed. Have a good time with your daughter, my 12 year old would love to see her —and so would I—

What about folding camp sitters?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Foldable-Folding-Waterproof-Chair-Cushion/dp/B00A8WMS3W You could tuck it in your jumpers.

She’d only need to push you in the gates. Many wheelchair users don’t use them full time.

What about hiring a mobility scooter if they are allowed in?

I’m in the same boat for the Neil Young concert. Accessible tickets sold out in the presale and I am going with my two daughters. I booked VIP tickets so at least we can sit in the summer garden. I was thinking I’d take a FLIPSTICK but they’d consider that a shooting ticket, wouldn’t they?

I saw these being taken off people at the entrance to Hyde Park.

I am sorry that you are having such a difficult time trying to get a response from that. One of those situations where just a little bit of foresight by including this in the FAQs could make life so much easier for you and other people who similar conditions.
We’ve been to something at BST Hyde Park every year for the last few years and generally find it well set up. The entrance is quite close to Marble Arch and, as you go in, the main food and drink bars are there with picnic benches set out. Whether you get somewhere to sit depends on how busy it is but I would like to think someone else would make space for you.
You then continue walking over to the area in front of the main stage. During the support acts, most people are sat on picnic rugs or similar on the floor. The only stand for the main act and even then some people continue to sit. The further forward you are, the less chance there is of being able to continue to sit as there will be people dancing all around you and some will be trying to get further forward. If you stay further back, you can have more space.
This may be stating the obvious, but the ground is largely grass. Therefore, the condition of it depends on the weather. It’s not just rain on the day that you need to factor in but how wet it has been in the run up to the concert as it could be slippery or muddy. There are tarmaced pathways but they try and keep those clear so you’re not supposed to sit on those. In some areas, they put down those plastic mat things but that is mainly in areas of high footfall like where you queue for the loos.
When you leave, it will be dark and there is little lighting. There is some lighting in the venue itself but, on all of the occasions we have been there, we have been funnelled out of nearest exit which is a fire exit and that just takes you into Hyde Park where there is even less lighting and no signage. We have always done a combination of following the crowd and relying on google maps to get us to the nearest road and then we have walked to whichever tube we wanted. It is busy as you’re getting out so, to an extent, you are doing whatever the crowd is doing. If that might be difficult for you, perhaps hanging back and waiting for the initial surge to leave might be easier? I don’t know if they let people back out of the entrance but, if so, you might want to target that as at least you’ll know where you are.
I have always been really impressed by the loos. There are dozens of them and you queue for individual blocks of 4 - 6 I seem to remember so it moves quite quickly. The queues are longest at the first few blocks and, as they have a one way system, you might find you have less of a wait but walk the same distance over all if you go to one of the further away blocks. As far as I know, there is only one set of loos.
I do hope you are able to make this with your daughter as I am sure it would be really special for her

I went last year to see Robbie Williams and people had little chairs. If you get a small one you can get in the bottom of a handbag/rucksack I reckon you’ll be ok.

All the venues I sold for the deal was you asked for a wheelchair space or ambulant disabled space and paid the full price and then you were entitled to a carer ticket for free. It was obviously badly explained.

It is many years since I sold for Earls Court/Olympia however.