
Contact Us & FAQs
Looking for a bit more info about Reading Arts events - or events in Reading in general? Want to find the right person to contact?
On this page you'll find all this information and more, so you can find the answers you need... or at least the contact info for the person who has them.
Got a question about a Reading Arts event, venue or membership?
- Check the FAQs on this page
- Email the Reading Arts Box Office - boxoffice@reading.gov.uk
- For group bookings, it's Alice.Flynn2@reading.gov.uk
- For any other Reading Arts query, see their contacts page
Got a question about any other event or venue?
- Contact details for each of our Partners are on their landing pages.
Got a question about the site itself or how it works?
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Reading Arts FAQs
GENERAL THEATRE GUIDANCE: SEE IT SAFELY (COVID-19)
How can I get to the theatre?
Be sure to set aside more than enough time for your journey to the venue; if possible, walk or cycle at least part of the way. Please check your route if travelling by public transport as this may have recently changed.
How will my ticket work?
We recommend selecting e-tickets when booking to allow you to enter the venues easily, minimise the amount of time you may have to queue, and reduce contact with venue staff.
Will I need to wear a face covering?
We strongly advise the continued use of face coverings for the safety of customers, staff and performers. Please see FAQ for full details.
What should I bring?
Please keep belongings to a minimum as there are no cloakroom facilities available. Bags may be checked on entry and should be kept with you at all times.
Will I be able to buy interval refreshments?
Please check the event page for details of pre-ordering and refreshments. Please pre-order wherever possible to avoid queuing and minimise contact with others. Transactions will usually be cashless and paperless, and there may be queuing systems in place.
What are the social distancing rules?
Venues are now open at full capacity so you will be sitting next to other people. We continue to ask you to maintain a safe social distance where possible when queuing to take your seats and moving around the theatre. You may need to pass someone to take your seat in a row – to mitigate risk Reading Arts ask you to continue to wear a face covering at all times when in the venue.
What else are venues doing?
Venues will be offering enhanced cleaning and regularly disinfecting. Some routes may have changed in order to minimise contact with others, so the helpful staff at the theatre will guide you.
Please use the hand sanitiser stations when you enter and exit the theatre. Stage Door activities such as photographs with the performers or autograph signing may be restricted. Please check event pages and our FAQ's for regular updates.
WHAT PRECAUTIONS HAVE WE PUT IN PLACE?
We are delighted to be able to welcome all of our patrons, friends and families back to The Hexagon and The Concert Hall, and to South Street.
For our customer and staff safety we will continue to implement certain safety measures in line with the latest Government and local Government guidelines.
We strongly recommend the continued use of face coverings when attending our venues.
To help keep you safe, our venues are cleaned before every performance and regularly disinfected.
Our helpful staff will guide you through the venue as routes may be changed in order to minimise your contact with others.
We have various hand sanitiser points at our venues. Please use these as frequently as you can during your visit.
As the venues are run by the Local Authority all our procedures have been approved by the Health and Safety Team.
We have worked with specialist teams in the Council, specialist contractors, promoters, industry bodies and used the Government Guidelines for live performance to ensure that our venues are Covid Safe.
The measures we have introduced include ENHANCED CLEANING, E-TICKETS and MULTIPLE HAND SANTISER STATIONS.
The safety of our audience, performers and staff are our top priority and we will adhere to all guidance and safety measures strictly.
A full breakdown of what you can expect at our venues are listed in the FAQ links below.
If you have any queries or concerns about your visit please email the Reading Box Office HERE.
WILL I NEED A FACE COVERING?
We strongly recommend the continued use of face coverings whilst at our venues for the safety of customers, staff and performers unless exempt (or whilst actively eating and drinking).
Face coverings are not recommended for children under the age of 6 for health and safety reasons. Although not mandatory we recommend that children over the age of 11 wear a face covering if possible.
Government advice on face coverings and details of exemptions can be found HERE
WHAT HAPPENS IF I TEST POSITIVE ON THE DAY OF MY VISIT?
If you have a positive test result before your visit, please do not attend the venue and email the Reading Arts Box Office HERE to discuss your ticket options. You must let us know at least 4 hours before the event as we may not be able to help after this time.
WHAT IF I NO LONGER WISH TO ATTEND AN EVENT?
Our standard terms and conditions apply for all events and tickets are non-refundable. We will post any further updates here.
Existing ticket holders will have the option of a refund or credit if an event has been postponed or cancelled due to Covid-19, and as long as you have contacted us to request this within the deadline given for any specific show.
We will contact any customers about shows that are impacted by Covid-19, whether the show is postponed or cancelled or if any additional measures are put in place.
HOW WILL MY E-TICKETS WORK?
Collection and postal delivery options may not be available for all events and we recommend selecting e-tickets for ease of use and to avoid queuing and contact at the venue.
You can check and download your e-tickets by logging on to your Reading Arts Account online. https://whatsonreading.com/my-account
If you are attending a show that has previously been rescheduled, please download updated e-tickets to ensure they include the correct date, event details and scannable QR code.
To help prevent resales and to ensure the tickets include the latest event and covid information, your e-tickets will not be emailed to you until 7 days before the event. There is no need to contact us, e-tickets will be automatically emailed to the account holder and also be available to download from your account. If you have not received your e-tickets within 7 days of the event and they are not available to download from your account please contact the Box Office.
Tickets can be displayed on your phone or printed at home. The unique QR code will be scanned on entry. When sharing tickets with members of your party please ensure you do not duplicate tickets as previously scanned QR codes may be refused entry.
WILL I BE ABLE TO BUY REFRESHMENTS/IS THERE AN INTERVAL?
Will there be an interval?
Most shows will now have an interval, unless otherwise specified.
Will I be able to buy refreshments?
For Hexagon shows, a full range of refreshments are available to pre-order. We will send a text to customers before the event where you can pre-order your refreshments. Please make sure that we have your up to date mobile number by logging in to your Reading Arts account.
Pre-orders will be available from pick up points at the theatre.
Please pre-order you refreshments if you can to avoid queues at the venue.
Please note that alcohol sales are for over 18's only, you may be asked for ID and Reading Arts reserves the right to refuse service.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF A PERFORMANCE IS CANCELLED OR POSTPONED?
In the event of a postponed or cancelled event we will email all ticket holders who have purchased their tickets from Reading Arts to inform you of any changes. We will also update our website and social media channels.
For most rescheduled events, all seat details will remain the same for the new date, however we require you to download your updated e-tickets from your Reading Arts account wherever possible to avoid any confusion. Updated e-tickets will be available to download 7 days before the show. For some shows it will be necessary for us to reissue tickets or allocate on arrival - please check event pages for details.
If you cannot make the new date, or if a show is cancelled, you have the option of a refund or a credit, which can be used on any future Reading Arts event. If you choose a refund your tickets will be refunded within 30 days. You must let us know within the deadline given in order for us to process a refund or credit. After this time we will assume you are attending the new date and our standard terms and conditions will apply.
On the advice of our bank, we only refund the card that was originally used to pay – this is to make sure that the refund goes to the right place and avoids any problems. Most of the time, if you've had a replacement card for the same account the refund will go into your account automatically and you won't need to do anything.
If your account is closed or you've had a replacement card and the refund still isn't appearing in your account after 15 days, please contact your card issuer. They'll be holding the funds for you and will be able to arrange a transfer to your new account. Unfortunately, we can't reclaim the money and issue the refund to a new card for you.
To help us please ensure that the email address and contact details we hold for you are up to date by logging into your account here
We ask you to bear with us as rescheduled events are confirmed and to avoid contacting the box office as they are dealing with an unprecedented number of enquiries.
If you have purchased tickets though a ticket agent (eg Ticketmaster, SEE tickets etc) or any other channel you will need to contact the agent directly to discuss your booking and their terms and conditions and refund policy will apply.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF THE SITUATION CHANGES?
We will be updating these FAQs, our website and social media channels as necessary. Please continue to check them for updates. We recommend that you check the FAQ's as well as the event pages for the latest information before travelling to the venue.
Please keep your contact details up to date on your Reading Arts account so that we can contact you in the event of any changes.
We are delighted to welcome you back to our venue!