Accessibility

Yes, step-free access is available to the main auditorium. Our accessible viewing area is located on the right-hand side of the auditorium when facing the stage, close to the stage itself and near a step-free toilet and accessible bar.

On arrival, please speak to the security team at the main entrance if you require step-free access. They will be happy to direct you to the step-free entrance and assist you in getting to the auditorium and accessible area.

We work closely with Attitude Is Everything to continually improve access for all our customers and we encourage our customers to sharing their feedback after attending a show with us.

Islington Assembly Hall
Upper Street
London N1 2UD
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By tube
Highbury and Islington Station (Victoria and Overground Lines) is a five-minute walk away. Angel Station (Northern Line) is a 15-minute walk away.

Strike action
Please allow extra time to get to the venue when there is planned strike action. You can find the latest information regarding travel times and advice for planning your journey on TFL’s website. Alternative public transport options available to you are: Overground line to Higbury & Islington; train or bus routes below.

By train
Highbury and Islington Station and Essex Road (Great Northern services) are both a five-minute walk away.

By bus
Buses 4, 19, 30 and 43 stop right outside the venue at the ‘Islington Town Hall’ bus stop. Other buses serving Essex Road and Angel stop a short walk away.

By road
The front entrance of the venue is on Upper Street, the A1.

Parking and drop-off point
Islington Town Hall forecourt is the best place to drop off customers. Dropping off or picking up customers from the side streets nearby is not permitted. There is no public parking at all in Richmond Grove.  For further information please go to Islington Council's parking for disabled people page

There are no pillars or fixed obstacles in the main hall. We set up the space with furniture based on discussions with the hirer beforehand. There is ground floor access to the foyer. The balcony and basement can only be accessed by stairs during events, as there is no functioning lift. At all our concerts, we ensure there is a viewing area close to the stage and accessible toilet. This is reserved disabled customers and their personal assistants, as well as for customers who, for medical reasons, require seating. If you require a seat or space in this area, please contact the venue.

As a grade II listed venue, during busy shows or shows in the summer, the venue can get hot. There is an extraction system in place bringing fresh air in to the venue but on hot days, it can remain hot throughout the show.

Our venue is listed, built nearly a hundred years ago, so we do not have a public lift, but there is step-free access to the main hall (downstairs) area. Unfortunately, our balcony can only be accessed by two flights of stairs.

To guarantee a spot, disabled customers who require assistance can request free entry for a personal assistant by contacting the Islington Assembly Hall team directly on 020 7527 8900 or assemblyhall@islington.gov.uk before buying a ticket.

An Essential Companion is a personal assistant who provides significant, substantial, and frequent help required by a Deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent attendee at an event. Their assistance helps remove barriers and ensures the attendee can access and enjoy the event experience.
To manage the limited seating capacity, free personal assistant tickets and prevent the fraudulent bookings we ask customers to email us a copy of the front page of DLA/PIP, front page of Attendance Allowance letter, evidence that registered severely sight impaired (blind), Recognised Assistance Dog ID Card, Access Card or equivalent with a +1 symbol or Blue Badge. If you are unable to provide the standard evidence, please submit alternative evidence, and we will assess it on a case-by-case basis.

Due to limited capacity, standing and the accessible areas are the only areas that we offer a free personal assistant ticket. Please note we are unable to accommodate any additional bookings in this area once it is sold out.

After contacting us and purchasing a ticket via an authorised outlet, please do get back in touch to finish up and confirm your reservation. We’ll do our best to make this process as smooth as possible for you.

On the off-chance you have changed your mind or did not manage to secure a ticket, we would appreciate if you let us know so we can then release your hold in the accessible area.

Give us a call or drop us an email for more details on wheelchair-accessible spaces at shows. You can get in touch with us on 020 7527 8900 or assemblyhall@islington.gov.uk.

Seat measurements and types vary between the accessible area and the balcony. Please note all measurements are in millimetres.

Accessible Area
The accessible area is located on the ground floor and there is step-free access available.
The chairs located in this area are approximately 400-450mm wide and 400mm deep with no arm rests.

Balcony
The balcony area can only be accessed via stairs as there is no functioning lift. There are 203 available seats in this section and 42 of these are aisle seats. They are approximately 450mm wide and 400mm deep. Arm rests are fixed and there is approximately a 201mm leg room, except in the first row where there is a leg room of approximately 204mm.

If you have any questions, please just get in touch on 020 7527 8900 or assemblyhall@islington.gov.uk.

There is a hearing loop in the venue, which can be activated on request for spoken word shows but not currently for live music.

We can also put those hiring the venue in touch with British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters to attend events at the venue.

There is a step free toilet on the ground floor of the venue next to our accessible area which is fitted with an alarm cord. During concerts, a member of our security team is based on the door leading to the toilet and is there to offer assistance if required. Staff will happily assist.

If you do not need a seat or space in the accessible area but would like to use the facilities, please contact us in advance or speak to a member of staff on the night. We will be happy to arrange access to the step-free toilet.

Should you require braille or large print material, or need anything else at all for your visit, please let us know in advance. You can get in touch with us on 020 7527 8900 or assemblyhall@islington.gov.uk.

Absolutely! Just get in touch beforehand on 020 7527 8900 or assemblyhall@islington.gov.uk and let us know.

Deaf people that use British Sign Language (BSL) can call Islington Assembly Hall using BSL Live for free.

Many of our events are brought in by external promoters and therefore it can be difficult for us to have the full details until very close to the show day. However, please be aware most shows and events now use strobe lighting and smoke effects. We will put signs up on the auditorium doors and foyer if strobe lights are in use.

Please bear this in mind when booking and please get in touch if you have any concerns. You can reach us at 020 7527 8900 or assemblyhall@islington.gov.uk.

Any bits you think you really need to bring with you for health purposes, just get in touch to let us know in advance. We cannot allow nuts in the venue due to staff and customer allergies.
Please notify us in advance via 020 7527 8900 or assemblyhall@islington.gov.uk so we can let the venue team know.

If you have any questions or an access requirement not included here, please just get in touch on 020 7527 8900 or assemblyhall@islington.gov.uk and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.