Bristol Hippodrome

The Bristol Hippodrome stands on St Augustine's Parade in the middle of the city centre, a few minutes by taxi from Bristol Temple Meads. Designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1912, it is a Grade II listed theatre seating 1,951 across three levels, with one of the largest stages in Britain. That scale is why the major musicals from London's West End stop here when they tour, alongside opera, ballet, stand-up comedy, children's shows and a traditional Christmas pantomime. Bristolians have long thought of it as the city's own West End theatre, and it is run by ATG Entertainment.

The theatre was designed by the celebrated architect Frank Matcham for the impresario Oswald Stoll, and it opened on 16 December 1912. English Heritage has since designated the building Grade II listed. One of its original talking points was an enormous water tank at the front of the stage, capable of holding 100,000 gallons, with a large glass screen that could be raised to shield the orchestra and the front stalls. The auditorium dome could also be opened for ventilation, although since air conditioning was installed it is rarely used.

The Hippodrome came through the Second World War intact, but in 1948, less than three years after the war ended, fire destroyed the stage. The auditorium survived, and the theatre reopened around ten months later.

Plenty of theatrical history has passed across that stage. The British premiere of Guys and Dolls played here in May 1953, with Vivian Blaine and Sam Levene reprising their Broadway roles, before the production transferred to the London Coliseum. Later came the European premieres of The Music Man in 1961 and Sail Away in 1962, the British premiere of Jeeves in 1975, the world premiere of Windy City in 1982, English National Ballet's new Nutcracker in 2002 and the world premiere of Mary Poppins in 2004. The theatre also has a poignant footnote in music history: Eddie Cochran played his final show here in 1960, hours before the road accident in Chippenham that killed him, and George Formby gave his last performance here on 14 January 1961.

In 2012 the Hippodrome marked its centenary with Thanks for the Memories, a celebration staged by the amateur companies Bristol Light Opera Club and Bristol Musical Youth Productions. It remains part of the ATG Entertainment group and a fixture of the national touring circuit.

The Access Entrance on Denmark Street is stair free and opens about 30 minutes before the performance. Inside the auditorium each row has a large, shallow step.

Please note there is no lift at the Bristol Hippodrome

All levels are reached by stairs, so every seat outside the areas listed below involves steps up or down.

• Four wheelchair or powerchair spaces, each with a fold-down companion seat, located in the Stalls on the left by the Denmark Street Access Entrance.
• Two Boxes at the rear of the Stalls are accessible to wheelchair users via a small platform lift measuring 75cm wide by 120cm long, with a maximum load of 250kg.
• For limited mobility, the theatre suggests the pairs of seats at the ends of Stalls rows G to R on the left-hand side of the auditorium (stage right), or Stalls row P seats 31 to 43 on the same side.
• Accessible toilets are located at the back of the Piano Bar and inside the Denmark Street Access Entrance, both with non-slip flooring and grab rails.
• The Piano Bar is stair-free and wheelchair accessible from outside, and a Delivered At Seat service can be arranged on arrival. The Ambassador Lounge is reached by narrow stairs only.

Walking aids, lightweight folding manual wheelchairs and lightweight folding mobility scooters can be stored if a member of your party can carry them to the storage area. Larger powered mobility aids cannot be taken inside.

Audio description and visual support

audio described performances use the Mobile Connect system on your own device, so you can sit anywhere in the auditorium, and Touch Tours may accompany them. Stalls seats give the closest view of the stage.

D/deaf and hard of hearing

the venue uses the Mobile Connect system, with BSL interpreted and captioned performances scheduled through the year.

Other support

assistance dogs are welcome and can be looked after by staff during the performance if arranged in advance or on arrival. Sensory kits can be borrowed for use at your seat, a quiet space is available outside the auditorium, and ear plugs or ear defenders can be requested. A visual story and familiarisation visits can be arranged by emailing bristoladmin@atgentertainment.com.

Access booking line

0333 009 5399, or via Typetalk on 1800 1 0333 009 5399.