Accessibility

We are committed to making our festivals welcoming and inclusive for everyone – as audience members, performers, or part of our team. We understand that access needs are diverse – whether related to mobility, sight, hearing, neurodiversity, or other considerations –and we work with our venues and community partners to identify and remove barriers of all kinds. We know there is always more to do, and we welcome your feedback at any stage, during our events, in our surveys, or afterwards. Do let us know how we can be helpful to you.

Contact our Box Office at any stage – before you book, on the day, or during the festival – and we will do our best to help.

Phone: (+353) 27 52788 | Email: info@westcorkmusic.ie.

Our Box Office is open Monday–Friday 9.30am–5.30pm year-round, and often on weekends during festivals.

Yes. There is a member of staff or volunteer at every event from at least 30 minutes before the start time, who can assist with tickets and any accessibility needs.

Yes, assistance dogs are welcome at all venues.

Yes. We have a portable wheelchair ramp that can be brought to any venue given prior notice. Please contact the Box Office in advance.

Many of our staff and volunteers complete training in dementia awareness and communication, in order to support festival attendees with dementia or memory issues and their companions. Anyone wearing the blue Dementia Understand Together badge is available to help, and we offer a ‘Meet & Greet’ service – by arrangement, we can meet and stay with your companion while you park, and help with orientation, for example.

Please speak to us if you need assistance. Bantry is a dementia-inclusive town, and so you will find a warm and understanding welcome across many of our shops, hotels, restaurants, and cafés.

The only venue with a hearing induction loop installed is the main event room at the Maritime Hotel during the Literary Festival. If you are Deaf or hard of hearing and would benefit from a reserved seat in a specific place — next to a speaker or near the front — please let us know and we will accommodate this. We understand that this situation is not ideal, and this is one of the reasons why we are working on developing our own accessible venue.

Children under the age of 16 may receive a 50% discount at all paid events when booked directly with the Box Office. Full-time students with a valid student ID can receive a 15% discount when booked directly with the Box Office. There are many free events throughout the Chamber Music Festival and the Literary Festival, and tiered pricing for most concerts.

Every venue we use has its own individual listing on our website, with a dedicated FAQ section covering parking, toilets, step-free access, and other specific details. You can find the listing for your venue on our Venues page.

Accessibility is embedded in how we plan and govern the festival. We gather feedback through our events and surveys, monitor what is and isn’t working, and review our provision as part of an ongoing process of improvement. Access has been represented at board level, and following the recent passing of a much-valued board member who held that role, we are actively looking to welcome someone new into it. If you have an interest in the arts, and would be interested in joining the board, we would love to hear from you.