Information for Audience Members
Please be aware that this code is intended to keep us all as safe as we can be, and to reduce the risks wherever possible associated with COVID-19.
Compliance to this code is a way of showing respect for fellow audience members whilst on site at the Blackburn Empire, any non-compliance could result in the jeopardising of public health which is a risk we cannot take, and therefore all mandatory items listed below must be adhered to for entry to the Theatre:
- First and foremost audience members should carry out their own personal risk assessment prior to attending the event. Audience members should take into consideration your age, health status and clinical vulnerability, and that of any others attending within their party.
- Every audience member will be asked to sanitise their hands on arrival and a every audience member may be asked to have a temperature check.
- Your booking should only contain up to 6 people from any number of households.
- Travel to and from the Blackburn Empire must also be considered within your decision to attend the Theatre. Owing to social distancing, local public transport service providers might only be able to offer limited services with reduced capacities and reduced timetables so we ask that where you are looking to use public transport to attend the venue, you plan your use of public transport carefully and refer to the latest guidance from the public transport providers.
- Tickets should be purchased in advance and Test and Trace details will be required to be left. All tickets will be available from blackburnempire.com. We would encourage you to use the NHS COVID app to scan the barcode for this purpose.
- Audience hygiene
- At all times and in all areas of Blackburn Empire Theatre, please observe social distancing and avoid close contact with any others not in your group. This means keeping 2 metres apart whenever possible.
- We ask that all Audience members maintain good hand hygiene, please use the sanitiser stations provided around the venue and avoid touching your face or any unnecessary surfaces. Our team may also ask you to sanitise your hands. Please cooperate with them.
- Please observe respiratory etiquette and always cover your mouth if needing to cough or sneeze. Do not remove your mask to talk.
- Food and Drink
Please be advised that you are not permitted to bring your own food and drink to the venue - Arrival at the Blackburn Empire
- Audience Members will be permitted access to the Theatre 45 minutes prior to the published show start time, any queuing will take place in on the pavement on Aqueduct Road. Please follow the markings to help you maintain your distance. Earlier arrival to the building will not be possible. Please be prepared for the weather, as you may have to wait outside as we allow audience members to enter.
- There are no toilet facilities before entering the building.
- At the point of entering the Blackburn Empire we will supply all audience members with a face mask, but please bring your own if you can. Audience members will be instructed to wear this mask whilst inside the venue. This is for the combined protection of staff and all audience members.
- As you enter the building wearing your face mask, your contactless ticket will be scanned, and you will be taken by one of our Customer Safety Team directly to your allocated seat or row. Tickets can be printed or displayed on a mobile device.
- Please note that the bars will be open to buy and take drinks and food back to your seat. Drinks cannot be consumed in the bar area.
- When you are shown to your designated seat we ask that you remain in your seat whilst other member of the audience are being seated.
- If an Audience member needs to utilise the toilet facilities during a show, they should try to wait until a suitable interval, follow the direction markings and continue to wear their facemask. Our Customer Safety Team will be there to offer help an guidance.
- To minimise face-to-face contact we insist that all Audience Members turn their backs if they need to pass other members of the audience.
- Whilst in the Theatre, please follow signs and obey instructions from staff and public address announcements.
- At the end of the performance, we will allow audience members to exit one row at a time and this will be done via the designated exit aisles. We ask that all audience members remain seated until we indicate to them that their aisle is ready to leave.
- Any members of the audience with accessible tickets, including wheelchair spaces, are encouraged to notify the staff and will be escorted to the front of any queues to give more time for entry, and to be assisted if required.
- Audience Members must not attend the venue if they are displaying any COVID-19 symptoms and agree that if any member of their party was to develop Covid-19 symptoms in the interim, that they will not attend the Theatre. A list of Covid-19 symptoms is shown below:
- Cough in the last 7 days
- Unusual Shortness of Breath on activity for two or more consecutive days
- New Shortness of Breath at rest
- Fever/Feeling Hot/Sweating
- Loss of Smell
- Loss of Taste
- Red Eyes or Sticky Eyes
- Diarrhoea
- New Runny Nose
- New Blocked Nose
- Sore Throat