Festival Square

Location

This year, Festival Square will be located in the outdoor spaces at Aviva Studios. The full address of the venue is Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ and the what3words is chop.feeds.chase.

Venue information

There is step-free access to all areas of Festival Square. There will be a range of seating options around the space, as well as picnic tables, including wheelchair accessible tables. The bars will have a lowered accessible service area.

TOILETS

Toilets are available for Festival Square visitors inside Aviva Studios. Accessible toilets (a mixture of wheelchair accessible cubicles with right- or left-hand transfer, as well as ambulant accessible cubicles with grab rails) are located in the brick arches in the Social, where there is also a Changing Places facility.

There are additional accessible toilets located in both the Hall Foyers.

You do not need a key to use the accessible toilets at Aviva Studios.

ASSISTANCE DOGS

Assistance dogs are welcome at Festival Square, and we can provide mats and water bowls on request. If you are bringing your assistance dog to Festival Square, please be mindful that there will be high noise levels at some events

Event access

The events at this venue are:
Festival Square

Events on stage at Festival Square will predominantly be set up as standing gigs. There will be a dedicated accessible viewing platform for wheelchair users and those requiring access seats, as well as a dedicated space on the flat floor close to the stage. Access to both of these areas will be available on a first come, first served basis. A member of our front of house team will be able to show you to these when you arrive. Selected performance slots will be BSL interpreted.

Travel information

Aviva Studios can be approached along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).

The Water Street route is the quickest way to arrive at our City Square entrance.

Our closest stations are:

Salford Central station: 0.4 miles

Deansgate station and Deansgate-Castlefield tram: 0.6 miles

St Peter’s Square tram: 0.6 miles

Manchester Victoria station is approximately one mile from Aviva Studios

Manchester Piccadilly station is approximately 1.3 miles from Aviva Studios

Click on the links above to find detailed access information for each station.

Bus

Free bus services stop at all city-centre stations, and near to Aviva Studios along Deansgate, Bridge St and Quay St. Buses on these free routes are wheelchair accessible. For full details of the free bus routes, please visit the TfGM website.

Car

There is a car park approximately 0.6 miles from the event entrance at Water Street Car Park, New Elm Rd, Manchester, M3 4JH.

There is also a NCP car park (Manchester Spinningfields) approximately 0.5 miles away from the venue at Spinningfields, New Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3BE. It has 35 accessible bays.

There are a small number of Blue Badge spaces along Water St and Quay St. Otherwise head towards Liverpool Road, Great John St and Lower Byrom St – close to our neighbours, the Science and Industry Museum where there are a small number of additional Blue Badge spaces.

For a list of other parking bays available in the area, visit Manchester City Council website.