Your Visit

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Please read on for audience information, accessibility, and other frequently asked questions

Tickets, Seating, & Accessibility

Our venue operates unreserved seating 
Patrons with specific access or seating requirements should purchase a standard ticket and then contact us at the venue directly so that we can reserve a suitable space for you in the auditorium. When you contact us, please provide proof of your disability, this is so that we can reserve seating priority for those patrons who genuinely have special requirements. In this way we can also add you to our Access List so that if you attend future events at Union Chapel you just need to contact us in advance with your name, event you are attending, if you will bring a carer and any update on your requirements. 

Union Chapel office: [email protected] or call us 020 7226 1686 (Mon-Fri, 9am – 5pm). 
We can accommodate up to 3 wheelchair users and most other requirements, but if in any doubt just get in touch before you buy your tickets as well.  

Essential Companions do not need a ticket however you must contact our Events team if they will be accompanying you. Please see our access information page for more information 

Access is via the main entrance on Compton Terrace (N1 2UN). There are 3 stone steps at the main entrance. If you require ramped access please contact the office in advance so that we can have the ramp ready for you, door staff will also be on hand to provide assistance. 

It is safest for electric wheelchair users to gain access via the rear of the Chapel. If you are an electric wheelchair user, please contact [email protected] ahead of attending the concert and a member of staff will be available to provide directions or escort you to this area.
 
Due to the nature of the building please be aware that the corridors and doorways are often tight or narrow with dim lighting and the floor surface can be uneven. Stewards are on hand to provide assistance but if this might be a significant hindrance we would recommend bringing an Essential Companion. 

Inside the Chapel all seating is unreserved in fixed pews, allocated on a first come first served basis. Leg room can be a little tight so it you would benefit from an aisle seat please contact us in advance and we can reserve space for you. 

We operate an online box office only. All tickets bought via our website can be printed or presented on your phone. If you choose to display your ticket(s) on mobile, remember to have them ready for scanning with the brightness turned up to minimise queuing. 

Queuing & Union Chapel Neighbours

As seating is unreserved, we have one queue for all tickets. Queue times can vary greatly and we aim to admit everyone within an hour after doors open. Please arrive early before event door times if you have preferred seats. Our event listings display doors open times. 

You may need to queue when you arrive at the venue. 
 
Please respect our neighbours when joining the queue, ensuring you queue safely on the pavement of Compton Terrace. Entrances and gates/railing of residential properties must be clear at all times. Please also ensure all litter is discarded in bins provided by Union Chapel. When leaving the venue, please respect our neighbours and ensure noise is kept to a minimum.  

If you are unable to stand for long periods of time, please take a look at our Access page or get in touch via email to [email protected] or call us 020 7226 1686 (Mon-Fri, 9am – 5pm). 

Latecomers and Re-entry 

Union Chapel operates a strict no re-entry policy. 

For most events, latecomers are admitted on applause. 

Occasionally, we are requested to operate a no latecomer for particular events (for example, classical performances and short events). We will display this information on the event listing. 

Anti-Touting Measures

For some events, anti-touting measures will be in place. In these cases, the named ticket holder must be present with photo ID with all other ticket holders at the time of entry. 

Forms of accepted ID are: valid passports, driving licences, Citizencards and Photocards. 

We will have information on the event listing where these measures are in place.

Bar & Refreshments

Our bar will be open pre-show from doors time and during the interval. The bar will be closed after the interval.   
Please note, the bar will be operating card payments only, cash payments are not possible. However pre-show Margins Cafe meals can accept both cash and card (see below).

The bar is located on the first floor via the door on the lefthand side of the stage. There is one 8 inch step as you come out of the chapel (no ramp) and then a stairlift; please ask a member of staff for assistance operating. There is a longer alternative route avoiding this step is available, please ask a member of staff if you require assistance. 
 
Although there is a no alcohol policy in the Chapel, we can make exceptions when it is not practical for a customer to reach the bar. Please contact the office in advance to make arrangements. 
 
Union Chapel office: [email protected] or call us 020 7226 1686 (Mon-Fri, 9am – 5pm). 

Within the Chapel, there is a kiosk selling snacks and cold drinks located at the lefthand stage side at the back as you enter the ground floor. Payments are taken via card only and there is free water for refilling your own non-glass bottles.

No food, soft drinks, alcohol, glass or controlled substances may be brought into the venue.

The Margins Project also offers a pre-event, in-house dinner from our Margins Café on most evening shows, which served in the bar and are able to accept both cash and card. You must have a general admission ticket and a free Eventbrite Margins Café reservation to access. Information on where to book both these tickets will be listed on the event listing. We strive to add the weekly menu on to the event listing at the end of the previous week. 

Bag Policy / Cloak Room

Bags will be checked by security when entering the building. Please be prepared upon arrival to go through this process and help speed up the entry. No food, soft drinks, alcohol, glass or controlled substances may be brought into the venue. You may bring a flask or non-glass bottle into the venue for filling with free water available, however you will be asked to empty it before entering.

You are welcome to keep your bag and coat with you at your seat throughout the event, however this is at your discretion and must not obscure the comfort of audience members. We appreciate audiences may be coming straight from work, however where possible we encourage you to bring limited items especially large bags to the venue. There is a cloak room available at the kiosk within the chapel priced at £2 per item using card payments only. If you wish to use our cloak room, please be prepared for this additional queue after entering the venue and that it may be a longer wait during busier, fuller shows.

Lighting

Please be aware the corridors can appear dimly lit in the evenings. 
 
Stage lighting, which can include LED lighting, will be used for all concerts. Tealights (small candles) are also used for all concerts around the edge of the auditorium balcony. 

Toilets 

There is one wheelchair accessible toilet located on the ground floor, accessed from the righthand side of the stage in the Chapel. This area is the section reserved for wheelchair users for convenience. 

Our other toilets are located on both sides of the ground floor and are sign marked. Please ask our stewards if you require directions. 
 
For backstage/rehearsal access the accessible toilet is accessed from the courtyard.

Parking

There is no private parking at Union Chapel. We encourage that our guests use the many nearby public transport options or book cabs to attend our venue

There are many two-hour pay and display bays in the area, as well as a few four-hour bays, with most being free after 18:30: https://www.islington.gov.uk/parking/where-to-park 

Upper Street Car Park – Located at the Business Design Centre on Upper Street (10-15 min walk from the Chapel). Height restriction of 2m. 

Westerfield Road Car Park – Located at Seven Sisters (6 min tube journey from Highbury and Islington). No height restriction. 

Public Transport

Union Chapel is approx. 200m from Highbury & Islington station, served by the Victoria line, the London Overground and mainline train services. Only platforms for London Overground lines are accessible by wheelchair. 
 
For detailed travel planning information, please visit Transport for London journey planner.

Age Restriction

Age restrictions for entry vary for each event depending on its content. Please check the event listing for details.  

As a venue, under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.  

Children aged three and over are very welcome, unless otherwise stated on the event listing and at guardian’s discretion, and will require a ticket.  

For babes in arms, children under the age of three who will not be seated do not require a ticket. Some events may be loud which can cause hearing damage so please employ guardian’s discretion 

Photography & Filming

Our photography policy varies according to the event. Artists may request that there is no photography or filming and in this case we ask the audience to respect this.  

As a venue, photography on mobile phones and compact cameras is permitted, without flash and for personal use.  

Larger cameras (SLRs with detachable lenses, for example) may only be used by those with photo/filming passes. These passes are issued by promoters prior to the event, not by Union Chapel.  

We ask our audiences to respect others around them, as photos and filming can be distracting for those around you. 

Dogs / Animals Policy 

We allow service animals only in the Chapel.