Live entertainment giant Live Nation and its events branch Festival Republic have signed an agreement with the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) following accessibility concerns at two festivals, Wireless and Download.
In their statement, EHRC said they received multiple reports of poor accessibility for disabled customers at Wireless Festival in July 2022. These concerns were followed by additional reports of disability access issues at Download Festival in June 2023. Issues reportedly included obscured stage visibility and poor facilities.
Live Nation commits to undertaking a robust lesson learning exercise to investigate the cause of issues at Wireless 2022 and Download 2023, ensuring they are not repeated. The legal deal with the EHRC also requires the company to introduce a new accessibility manual to assess and promote accessibility on all existing and new festival sites.
The articles of agreement also require reviews of all internal policies and procedures to ensure accessibility provisions are included, as well as introducing organization-wide training on disability awareness.
“Live music and festivals are a pivotal part of British culture, and we are lucky to have such a vibrant array of events each year that can cater for every individual taste,” stated Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
“Festivals deserve to be enjoyed by all, including disabled people,” she added. “No one should be subjected to poor treatment when attending or being put off from attending altogether due to unacceptable access issues.”
According to Leicestershire Live, fans at Download had complained of poor facilities and that the festival struggled to meet basic needs such as water and toilets. One festival-goer told the media outlet that she felt really upset by the poor accessibility at Download and that disabled people had been an afterthought.
Similarly, 2022’s Wireless Festival was criticized by disabled fans over making them feel “like a second-class citizen,” BBC reported. The news outlet pointed to the wheelchair users who were faced with steep hills, rough gravel and obscured views of the stage.
“The reported experiences at both Wireless and Download festival were unacceptable and should never have happened,” Falkner highlighted.
Falkner said they welcomed Live Nation’s commitment to improve their services and the signing of this agreement would ensure disabled people were not left behind at future events.
