Frequently Asked Questions
Coming to see us? Here’s what you need to know about visiting Aviva Studios, from how to get here and what you can bring to buying tickets. If you've still got questions, email us on tickets@factoryinternational.org – we’re a friendly bunch.
Visiting
The full address of the venue is Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ and what3words is chop.feeds.chase.
Find full travel information here: https://factoryinternational.org/visit/
Bag searches are carried out by our friendly, trained Visitor Services staff. At certain events, bag sizes may be restricted or prohibited for security and logistical reasons. We’ll let ticket holders know in advance.
Skateboards and scooters are not permitted inside the venue. However, our public space is for everyone to enjoy (including skateboarders and people on scooters) - we just ask that you’re mindful of others when using our outdoor space, particularly people with access needs.
Our Visitor Safety Team forms part of our wider operational team. They are here to help you enjoy the building safely. Bag checks will be in place at all events.
Under 14s visiting Aviva Studios and Festival Square are to be accompanied by an adult aged 18+ during the day.
From 8pm onwards, under 18s are to be accompanied by an adult aged 18+.
In short, if you're visiting our building you're welcome to take photographs and videos of yourself, your family and friends in our spaces.
Any photographs must be for personal use only, using hand-held cameras and phones. Additional equipment such as tripods, gimbals and lighting is not permitted across the building.
There may be certain exhibitions or shows where photography is not allowed, and this will be clearly stated in the space. In spaces where photography is allowed, please do not touch artworks, objects or cases while taking photographs or filming.
You can read our full policy here.
Please note that we are unable to take cash payments at our retail or ticketing units currently. We appreciate that this may be an access barrier for some people, and we intend to start taking cash payments as soon as practically possible in the building. Thank you for your patience on this.
About our building
What is the name of the venue?
Our venue is called Aviva Studios. You can find out more about the venue here.
Aviva Studios is the new permanent home of Factory International. We're the team behind Manchester International Festival (MIF for short) and this landmark new space for the city. You can find out more about who we are and what we do here.
You can preview our new home this summer as part of MIF23, ahead of our official opening in October – and we can’t wait to welcome you in. We’ll then be putting the finishing touches on our new home over the summer – ready for our official opening this autumn. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy exploring everything we have to offer as part of MIF23.
There's lots to get stuck into inside and outside Aviva Studios as part of MIF23. You can explore our vast warehouse with a major exhibition of Yayoi Kusama’s inflatable sculptures You, Me and the Balloons and watch performances from world-class musicians and artists in The Hall.
Manchester’s much-loved Festival Square is relocating to our outdoor spaces with free live music from over 190 performers and a wide variety of food and drink.
See the full MIF23 programme here and our Festival Square programme here.
Our venue opening hours are:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday: 10am – 9pm
Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 10am – 11pm
Under 14s visiting Aviva Studios are to be accompanied by an adult aged 18+ during the day.
From 8pm onwards, under 18s are to be accompanied by an adult aged 18+.
A range of food and drink options are available throughout the day from Super Serve Manchester. Super Serve is a brand-new collaboration between Solitaire Restaurants and Square One, who have come together to create a sustainable, locally sourced menu for us.
Access
Assistance dogs are very welcome. We can provide mats and water bowls on request and can take care of assistance dogs if you are unable to take them into your event.
If you are bringing an assistance dog to a ticketed event, please let us know in advance by emailing access@factoryinternational.org.
Quiet spaces are not operational over summer 2023. However, members of our Front of House Team are on hand to help you find quieter areas in our building and outdoor spaces should you need to.
Please check our access performance page for a list of relaxed sessions. Ear defenders are also available to borrow should you need them.
We have wheelchair spaces in various locations in the Hall and Warehouse. If you wish to transfer from your own wheelchair into a seat for your event, our Front of House staff can store your wheelchair for you during the performance.
We have a small number of wheelchairs available to borrow in the building. Please ask a member of the Front of House staff on arrival.
You are welcome to bring and use medication as needed at our building. If you are have any questions or concerns about this, please contact access@factoryinternational.org or call us on 0161 817 4531. Our phone lines are open 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
If you need to bring medically-prescribed cannabis into the venue, please get in touch with access@factoryinternational.org or call 0161 817 4531 (10am to 5pm Monday to Friday) so that we can make appropriate arrangements to meet your needs.
Families
We have baby changing and toilets on site – including accessible toilets.
You are welcome to breastfeed in the Social – our groundfloor café and bar area.
Unfortunately we do not have allocated areas for buggies within the Social area.
Tickets
Each event is priced differently with a wide range of ticket prices available.
We want everyone to enjoy our events, so look out for many low-priced and free events throughout the year.
Please see the individual event listings for ticket prices here: https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/
The easiest way to book tickets is online. Visit https://factoryinternational.org/ and select the relevant show and date.
If you wish to book over the phone, please call 0333 322 8679. Phone lines are open Monday – Friday 9am–8pm, Saturday 10am–8pm and Sunday 10am–6pm.
Please note all bookings incur a £2.50 per transaction fee.
If you experience any problems with our booking system, or need extra information on access requirements or performance details, we’re here to help. Just email tickets@factoryinternational.org.
All bookings are subject to a transaction fee of £2.50 per order. This does not apply when booking time slots for free ticketed shows.
Please be aware that there may be additional transaction fees when booking directly from other approved agents.
If you book online or through one of our ticketing assistants in person/over the phone, you will receive an email confirmation. A follow-up email with your tickets attached will arrive 72 hours before the event. This is your e-ticket – please bring it with you to gain entry to the performance. In line with our sustainability policy, there is no need to print anything out!
Please note, all tickets are e-tickets and we are no longer posting any physical tickets.
We will also send reminders and tickets out by text before each show directly to the lead booker’s given phone number using our Crowd Engage App. From your mobile, you can share tickets with others in your group, get directions, read up on FAQs and check any important pre-show information. There is no login or signup required for this service.
Don’t panic! You’ll receive a text link to your tickets through CrowdEngage. All tickets are valid as e-tickets – simply display them on your charged mobile device with the screen brightness turned up.
If you have any difficulties, please speak to a member of the Factory International ticketing team at the venue.
If you cannot find your confirmation e-mail and have checked your junk folder and spam filters, please contact the ticketing team at tickets@factoryinternational.org.
Please check your event webpage for confirmed entry times: https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/. You will receive a pre-event email confirming this information closer to the event date.
For timed entry events, please arrive no more than five minutes before your allocated time slot or performance start time. For paid ticketed events, doors open approximately 60–90 minutes before the event start time.
Our latecomer policy varies by event – please see individual event webpages for more details. You may be asked to wait for a suitable break before being admitted. We cannot guarantee admission to latecomers.
Please check your event webpage for the address of the venue and travel information: https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/.
Please be sure to check the event timings as latecomers cannot be guaranteed entry.
Any remaining tickets will be on sale at the venue Ticketing Hub approximately 30– 60 minutes before the scheduled start time (card transactions only). We strongly advise purchasing tickets in advance as events may sell out.
All tickets are sold as non-refundable. Please check you can attend before making a purchase. For a full list of terms and conditions, please visit https://factoryinternational.org/policies/terms-conditions/
It may be possible to exchange your tickets for another date or time of the same event, subject to availability.
If you would like to exchange your tickets, please check the availability on our website and call 0333 322 8679. Phone lines are open Monday – Friday 9am–8pm, Saturday 10am–8pm and Sunday 10am–6pm.
An exchange fee of £2.00 per ticket will be charged.
Access information can be found here: https://factoryinternational.org/visit/access/
Please be advised that access information for Manchester International Festival can vary depending on the event and venue. Please check the access section for your event here: https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/.
If you wish to speak to our Access Team please call 0161 817 4531 (10am–5pm Monday – Friday) or email access@factoryinternational.org.
Babes in arms are welcome in our venue. Children under 2 do not need a ticket. You can check which events are suitable for babes in arms at the events pages.
Log in to your Factory International account at https://factoryinternational.org/my-account/ using your previous login details. Then update the information in the details section, confirm and save.
Don’t worry, you can request a new password by selecting ‘Forgotten your password? Reset here’ from the ‘My Account’ page here: https://factoryinternational.org/my-account/
Memberships
Simply visit our Become a Member page, click Join Now and a Membership will be added to your basket. At checkout, you'll be prompted to make an account. Complete the purchase and you're good to go!
Factory International Membership is open to everyone aged 18 or over. Factory International Membership is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. Check your Membership card for your expiry date.
Ready for another year of experiencing the extraordinary? We'll send you a reminder email when your renewal date is coming up with all the information you need.
To renew, simply click Join Now on our Become a Member page which will add Membership to your basket. Make sure you're logged in to your account, complete your purchase, and our system will recognise that it is a renewal.
Any issues, contact membership@factoryinternational.org
Priority booking gives you access to tickets for all Factory International shows and events 48 hours before general release. Priority booking does not guarantee tickets to every performance and orders are limited to four tickets per live event.
To access priority booking on our website, just make sure you're logged in to your online account and you'll automatically have early access to the booking page.
If you need any help logging in to your account or booking tickets, get in touch with our ticketing team by emailing tickets@factoryinternational.org
Log in to your online account here with the email you signed up to your Membership with.
If you've forgotten your password, click Reset here and a reset link will be sent to your email address.
Any issues logging in, contact tickets@factoryinternational.org
Members get 10% off all food and drinks in The Social and any purchases from our shop.
Plus, during MIF23, Members can use their discount across all our vendors in Festival Square!
Keep an eye out for info on all exclusive discounts and offers in your Members e-newsletter.
Our gift membership option is coming very soon - keep an eye out!
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