Help Centre

Attending a show or event

We look forward to welcoming you to our venues. For up to date event information and event running times (available a few days prior to the event), please visit the show event page on this website. Original tickets remain valid for rescheduled events unless advised. You can access your tickets via your BH Live Tickets online account.

You DO NOT need a vaccine passport to visit our venues. Some artists/shows may stipulate enhanced measures as part of their tour.

  • We will be in touch by email with any event updates/enhanced measures.
  • Tickets are emailed to you in advance of the show. Please have your etickets ready for scanning on arrival. They can be shown on your mobile device and there is no need to print them, although printed copies will be accepted.
  • To assist our staff and for faster entry to our venues, please do not bring large bags with you.
  • We are a cashless venue so please use card or contactless payments when making a purchase.
  • Please be courteous, act responsibly and give people space when moving around the venue.

What do I do if I haven't received my ticket(s)?

You can access your etickets from the My Account section of the website:

  • Go to My Account
  • Enter your log in details if you aren't already logged in
  • Go to Upcoming Events
  • Next to the required event click the "View Tickets" button
    The on screen tickets can be shown on a mobile device when you arrive for the event.

How will my eticket work?
Every ticket must be purchased in advance as an eticket. This allows us to help you enter the venue more easily, minimise the amount of time you have to queue and reduce contact with our customer service staff. Etickets can be shown on your mobile device, there is no need to print your etickets (although printed copies will be accepted).

What should I bring?
Please keep your belongings to a minimum and with you at all times. Bag checks may be in operation.

Will I be able to buy refreshments?
Yes, our cafés and selected bars will be open for customers to purchase refreshments and snacks. Transactions in the venue will be cashless and paperless throughout our venues.

Pavilion parking charges

Bournemouth Pavilion has its own car park providing 185 spaces with 8 accessible spaces. Charges apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with payment made by phone or mobile app.

Charges between 01 April - 31 October 2023

  • Up to 1 hour - £3.30
  • Up to 2 hours - £6.60
  • Up to 3 hours - £9.90
  • Up to 4 hours - £13.20
  • Up to 6 hours - £19.80
  • Up to 24 hours - £24.20

BIC parking charges

The BIC has its own multi-storey car park with 644 spaces. The car parking operates Automatic Number Plate Recognition and will register your car on arrival. Take a ticket on arrival and pay before exiting. It is open 24 hours a day and has ramp access to the foyer from all levels and accessible spaces on levels 1, 2 and 3.

There is a fixed rate of £10 for show parking from 5pm until the end of the show. If booked in advance, there is a show rate of £9.00 (available for selected shows). The standard hourly rate below is not available during these times.

Charges between 01 April - 31 October 2023

  • Up to 1 hour £2.75
  • Up to 2 hours £5.50
  • Up to 3 hours £8.25
  • Up to 4 hours £11.00
  • Up to 6 hours £16.00
  • Up to 24 hours £20.00

Cancelled and rescheduled events

Which shows have been cancelled or rescheduled?
See individual event pages for information on cancelled events or rescheduled dates

My show has been rescheduled – what should I do?
Your tickets will automatically be moved to the new date and original tickets will remain valid. You do not need to contact us.

My show has been cancelled – What should I do?
All affected customers will be emailed with the following options:

  • Ticket Donation – you can choose to donate either your whole booking value or a nominal amount to the venue instead of claiming a refund. This allows us to keep us delivering a diverse programme and cultural experiences to our customers, now and in the future.
  • Gift Voucher – we can issue your refund as a BH Live gift voucher which can then be used for any future performance on sale through BH Live Tickets.
  • If you would prefer a refund, this will be processed back to your credit/debit card.

I took out ticket insurance for a show that has now cancelled. How does this affect me?
As per our terms and conditions, Ticket Protection, which is purchased as an additional item, is non-refundable. More information can be found at www.securemybooking.com

What if I didn’t give you an email address when I booked?
You can update your contact details by logging in to your account

I haven’t received an email for a rescheduled show.
Please check your junk folder and ensure that bhlive.tickets@bhlive.org.uk is marked as a “safe sender” by your email service provider. If we do not have the most up-to-date email address, please log in to your account. Please note that if you bought your tickets from a ticketing agent, we will not have your contact details to advise you about show changes - you should contact the agent you booked with.

What if my tickets were a gift? Who will you contact?
For data protection reasons, we will only contact the person who made the original booking.

I have booked pre-paid parking*/pre-show dining/ lounge access for a rescheduled show, is it still valid?
Pre-paid parking willbe moved and remain valid for the rescheduled performances.

All pre-show dining/lounge access are currently unavailable and will be refunded.

*Please note – Pre-paid parking is only available for shows at the Bournemouth International Centre – should an event change venue, pre-paid parking will automatically be refunded.

Booking tickets

How can I see What's On?

The best way to see What's On is via this website - you can purchase tickets to shows as well as subscribe to receive the on-sale emails.

Are your Box Offices open?

Our Box Office telephone line (0300 500 0595*) is operating reduced hours. For this weeks opening hours please visit Ways to book. If you have a question or a query about an existing booking, then please visit the Help Centre. Venue Box Offices will open approximately 2 hours prior to any scheduled event.

Which payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major debit/credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro), and BH Live Gift Vouchers. We do not currently accept American Express.

Do you sell or accept Theatre Tokens?

We only accept SOLT National Theatre Tokens in person at Fairfield Halls, Croydon. We do not accept them at any of our other venues. However, we do sell our own BH Live Tickets Gift Vouchers, as full or part payment for any shows that we sell, including external events outside of our own venues.

I was trying to buy multiple seats online, but the website would not let me book them

Sometimes there are only single seats available which would mean that your party would not be seated together. Try adding seats to your basket one at a time.

Do you have seating plans of the venue?

Download Bournemouth International Centre Windsor Hall Seated seating plan

Download Bournemouth International Centre Windsor Hall Seated with Platform seating plan

Download Bournemouth International Centre Windsor Hall Standing with Balconies seating plan

Download Bournemouth International Centre Windsor Hall Half Standing with Terrace and Balconies seating plan

Download Pavilion Theatre seating plan

Download Pavilion Ballroom seating plan

Download Fairfield Halls Concert Hall seating plan

Download Fairfield Halls Ashcroft Theatre seating plan

What does "Restricted View" mean?

This applies to certain seats or seating areas where the sight line is obstructed, say by a handrail, or are positioned at a slightly obscuring angle to the stage. This is due to the diverse nature of our shows which can have complex layouts.

Which are the best seats?

This is a matter of personal preference. In the Pavilion Circle, you will experience a full overview of the stage. In the Pavilion Stalls, you will generally be sitting closer to the performance.

At Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), the Terrace is considered to be the best area. You will, however, also get good views from Blocks B & C, as well as the Balcony and Side Balconies.

At Fairfield Halls, the centre of the Stalls in the Ashcroft Playhouse and Concert Hall is usually the best view.

What is your child age policy?

Standing Concerts

  • No Under 12s to stand
  • Children of 12-13 years standing must be accompanied by an adult (ratio 1 adult to 4 children)
  • Children of 14 years and over may stand without an accompanying adult at a parent's or guardian's discretion.

Seated Concerts

  • There is no age restriction unless the event is advertised as unsuitable for certain ages, such as an X-rated comedian show.
  • All children under 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult (ratio 1 adult to supervise a maximum of 10 children)
  • Children of 14 years and over do not require an accompanying adult.
  • Children under 2 will not be admitted to a performance unless it is identified as a children's show.

No tickets need to be purchased for children under 2 unless they intend to occupy a seat separately from the adult accompanying them. However, we reserve the right at our absolute discretion to direct patrons to remove a child under their supervision from a performance where the child is causing disturbance or annoyance to other patrons or performers.

It is strongly recommended that all unaccompanied children remain in the venue until they are collected at the end of the performance.

I'm going to a show at Bournemouth Pavilion - is there a dress code?

The dress code here is smart/casual.

What time can we go in? What time does the show end?

Doors usually open between 30 minutes and 1 hour before the show starts.

Running times are only approximate, subject to change, and are usually only confirmed a few days before the show. Please check individual event listings for more information

How much does a backstage pass cost?

Backstage passes are dealt with directly by a tour's promoter. Occasionally VIP or Meet and Greet packages are available to buy. This will be indicated when you select your seats.

Other than these packages, the venue has no influence, jurisdiction or control over obtaining backstage access.

*Calls to 0300 numbers are charged the same as a standard rate call

Sold out shows, reselling, and exchanges

If I buy a seated ticket, can I change to standing?

Once a ticket has been purchased, it cannot be exchanged or refunded.

Can I be added to a waiting list for sold out shows?

We operate a waiting list for people interested in purchasing tickets for an event which is sold out, since changes to event configurations or requirements often make additional seating available.

Your event has sold out, should I buy tickets via eBay/Gumtree/Viagogo etc.?

We cannot vouch for any tickets that have been bought, other than via an official agent. If a show cancels or changes date, we would not be able to contact you and any money would be refunded directly to the original customer.

Why are there tickets listed on eBay/Gumtree/Get Me In etc. when your event has sold out?

We do not list tickets on eBay, or other such reseller websites. These are listed by customers or ticket touts attempting to resell them, often for personal profit.

I bought tickets via eBay/Gumtree/Get Me In etc. Are they valid?

Only tickets which display the BH Live holographic logo on the front of the ticket will be valid.

However, we reserve the right to refuse entry to any patrons who we have reason to believe have acquired their tickets via an unauthorised agent. We cannot vouch for the validity or authenticity of any tickets purchased through an unauthorised re-seller.

I bought tickets via eBay/Gumtree/Get Me In etc. Can I pick them up from your Ticket Office?

No, please see above.

If I can't have a refund, can I sell my tickets on eBay/Gumtree/Get Me In, etc.?

We do not approve of the resale of our tickets by persons for monetary profit or other personal gain. We will suspend the use of our services to any customers who we have reason to believe are undertaking, or have undertaken, this practice. The tickets concerned will be invalidated.

You are welcome to resell your tickets at face value if you are unable to attend.

We also offer Ticket Protection from Secure My Booking which you can claim against if you are unable to attend for a range of reasons. This must be purchased at the same time as booking your tickets.

Fees and charges

Why do you charge a transaction fee?

Transaction fees contributes towards the ongoing cost associated with providing ticketing services and technology for our venues.

Group Bookings

I’ve got a group booking to make, is there anyone who can help me?

Yes, our Groups Manager is here to help with your group booking needs.

Is there a ticket discount for group bookings?
Not all shows have group discounts, but our Groups Manager is here to help with your group booking queries and requirements.

Accessibility

Customers with special seating or access requirements can join our Access Scheme, which enables us to provide the best possible service and seats for customers with accessibility needs. It's free to join and we provide members with a personal service to tell them what's coming up. It also allows members to book accessible seats and wheelchair spaces online, by phone, or in person. Please email access@bhlive.org.uk for more information.

For informational on accessibility at our venues, please visit our venue specific websites:

Bournemouth International Centre
Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre
Fairfield Halls, Croydon

Contact us

I’ve emailed but haven’t had a reply
We are experiencing extremely high volumes of enquiries and responses are taking longer than usual - we appreciate your understanding and patience during this time.

Please be aware, enquiries are being answered by a reduced team working weekdays and weekends & event days 2 hours prior to the start of events.

I need assistance
For assistance with a query not covered in the help centre please submit a customer enquiry form.

Lost property
For assistance with lost property, please email bicpavlostproperty@bhlive.org.uk