Accessibility at Pride is very important to us.
We’re committed to accessibility at the festival, each year we work to improve provisions to make Pride Day accessible for all.
Pride Day is held on Durdham Downs which is a grassed area of parkland in Clifton. This year we have changed the application process for free PA tickets – you can now add these directly to your basket when purchasing your pride Wristband and once your purchase is complete you will be asked some questions about your access needs and if you need blue badge parking or access to the viewing platforms. You can find more information about the measures we have put in place to make the event as accessible as possible below.
Any questions, specific access requirements, concerns or general feedback email us on access@bristolpride.co.uk we aim to get back to you as soon as possible but this inbox is not monitored full time.
Our 2026 BSL video for Pride Day is coming soon
Click to download a large text only version of our 2026 Festival Guide
Click here to hear the BRISTOL PRIDE PROGRAM – AUDIO VERSION
With thanks to University of Bristol our Access Partner, their support helps us to deliver accessibility at the festival.
We’re also supported by the National Lottery Community Fund to deliver accessibility across Bristol Pride.
You can now listen to the Bristol Pride Access Information Pack 2026 clicking here Bristol Pride Access Information Pack 2026
If you require extra support for Bristol Pride Day, we can match your wristband with a free personal assistant ticket. If you have purchased your wristband in advance, you will have been able to add a free PA ticket to your basket. When collecting your wristband at the gate or at the Pride Hub, your PA should be matched with the same wristband as you, and receive the same benefits in accordance to the wristband purchased.
If purchasing a wristband on the day, you can declare to the gate staff that the person accompanying you is your PA, and they should be matched with the same wristband. If you choose to make a pay what you can donation, you can declare that the person accompanying you is your PA, and they will not be asked to make a donation. You can choose to purchase any wristband type or make a pay what you can donation at the access entrance or the access lane of the main entrance.
We currently do not ask for evidence of need for PA tickets when purchasing tickets online, on the gate or via email. We believe this removes a barrier for disabled people, making it quicker and easier for people to get the support they need, and trust our audience and community to purchase the correct ticket type. However, if we are made aware that this system is being misused, we may retroactively contact customers and ask for evidence of need.
The Downs is a grassed area of parkland.
The whole site has level access however, some areas of the Downs have slight slopes, ruts and bumps. If you need any help or support with these areas please speak to one of our accessibility champions.
We have an access gate that has a trackway road – this leads to the Main Stage viewing platform via Community tent and the Cabaret Stage viewing platform, as well as to medics and welfare. There is also an access lane at the main gate which should have shorter queuing times.
There are no doors or gates to open to enter the site or around the festival apart from the portaloos, there are accessible toilets at each toilet block accessed by radar key locks, and a mobiloo located by the community area.
Wooden Picnic benches for additional seating will be available across the festival, with some of these being wheelchair accessible. Age UK will be onsite with their dedicated shade and sitting rest area located next to the Rainbow Shade Tent.
Pride can be lots of fun, with live music, drag, circus and dance performances, with places to dance, socialise, eat and drink. It can also be busy, crowded and noisy. If you feel overwhelmed or need a break you can use our sensory calm space.
SHUTTLE BUS
There will be a dedicated Shuttle Bus service running throughout Pride Day from Millennium Square and The Downs.
This year we are trailing the use of an accessible shuttle bus route.
One of our shuttle buses will be dropping off at a point nearer to the accessible entrance, and will have a lower capacity. You may want to use this route if you plan to use our accessible entrance, or would prefer a less crowded bus.
Disabled pride goers and others with access needs are still very welcome to use our standard shuttle bus routes. All our shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible, and we will still have a priority access queue for the standard shuttle buses that will stop at the Water tower. The route to the main entrance is level access across grassed park land.
Approx distance from Watertower to Main Entrance – 380m.
As this is the first time we are trialing this service we recognise that there may be imperfections, and we are open to suggestions and feedback on what we can do to improve this. Please email access@bristolpride.co.uk if you have any questions, concerns or feedback around this service.
BY BUS
We are offering free travel on First Bus with a Pride Supporter Wristband.
You can take the numbers 1,2, 3 or 4 bus to Pride on The Downs. The best stops to use are College Green (P1) or The Cenotaph in City Centre (C10). For the 1 and 2 route map and times click here. For the 3 and 4 route map and times click here.
You can also catch the 3 or the 4 from Union street if you want to watch the Parade head off and then catch the bus. If you want to go straight from the train station to The Downs, catch the 1 or 2 from Temple Gate, the road outside Temple Meads station entrance (T4).
You can also catch buses 1,2,3 or 4 from outside Clifton Down Shopping centre if you have taken the train to Clifton Down Station.
BY TRAIN
The main train station to come into is Bristol Temple Meads and the closest train station to the festival is Clifton Down (a line runs from Bristol Temple Meads).
Access information for both train stations can be found below.
We have an accessible car park – it will be in front of the position of the access entrance. You can also use this as an accessible drop off spot. You can request a spot when booking a personal assistant ticket online.
If you need to book a spot in the car park and do not require a personal assistant ticket, or are planning on purchasing a wristband or making a donation on the day, please fill out this access form. When parking in this car park please display your blue badge if you have one – if you do not have a blue badge please email access@bristolpride.co.uk and we can issue you with an alternative parking pass.
The pull in for the car park can be found at
What Three Words
///drop.fight.rooms
Google Pin
https://maps.app.goo.gl/99MMSoAftARYvWvk7
Post Code
BS9 1FH
The car park will be in a grassed area, with level access and firm ground. Stewards will be on hand to guide you.
The Downs is a grassed area of parkland.
The whole site has level access however, some areas of the Downs have slight slopes, ruts and bumps. If you need any help or support with these areas please speak to one of our accessibility champions.
We have an access gate that has a trackway road – this leads to the Main Stage viewing platform via Community tent and the Cabaret Stage viewing platform, as well as to medics and welfare. There is also an access lane at the main gate which should have shorter queuing times.
There are no doors or gates to open to enter the site or around the festival apart from the portaloos, there are accessible toilets at each toilet block accessed by radar key locks, and a mobiloo located by the community area.
Wooden Picnic benches for additional seating will be available across the festival, with some of these being wheelchair accessible. Age UK will be onsite with their dedicated shade and sitting rest area located next to the Rainbow Shade Tent.
Pride can be lots of fun, with live music, drag, circus and dance performances, with places to dance, socialise, eat and drink. It can also be busy, crowded and noisy. If you feel overwhelmed or need a break you can use our sensory calm space.
Access Champions will be located at the gates, the access platforms and at the info point. These volunteers can help with questions that you might have or information about the festival.
Accessibility Champions are Pride volunteers who are there to support Pride goers with access needs. They will be wearing bright pink hi-vis vests which states ACCESS CHAMPION on them, as well as access lanyards. They will be located at the main gate, accessibility gate, the viewing platforms at Main Stage and Cabaret Stage as well as at the info point and roaming around the festival.
We are providing raised platform viewing areas for the Main Stage and Cabaret Stage for wheelchair users, those with restricted mobility, or other access needs meaning it is difficult to view from the main crowd. There will be some seating available on the platforms, or you can bring your own. You will need a wristband to access these platforms.
We offer an ambulatory viewing area for the main stage. This is an unraised area designed for people who are able to stand but may need space away from large crowds. You will need a viewing platform wristband to use this area.
Can you request a viewing platform wristband when booking a personal assistant ticket, by filling out this access form, or by request one on the day at our access entrance or access lane of the main entrance.
We normally issue one per person and one for an essential companion, with some flexibility – for example, if you require more than one essential companion, if there is a parent with two children, etc. Please ask if you are unsure.
Wen the platform is not busy, you are more than welcome to bring other friends and family up. When it becomes busy, we will ask people without wristbands to move off the platform to make way for other users.
There will be a large screen by Main Stage and Cabaret Stage for increased visibility of the performances, with BSL inset onto the screen.
Viewing platforms are managed by our Access Champions and supported by our security team.
Stages without viewing platforms will have accessible viewing areas which will be small areas cordoned off near the BSL interpreter or close to the stage.
There is an Accessoloo (also known as a Mobiloo) onsite located on the trackway route close to the Community tent. A Mobiloo is a mobile accessible toilet with an adult-sized changing bench, a hoist and a friendly attendant.
Every toilet block around the site and both viewing platforms have accessible toilets. These will be fitted with a radar lock to keep them clean and free for use for disabled people, so please remember to bring a radar key if you have one. Our Access Champions will have spares and keys will also be available to purchase from the Info Tent.
All our bars offer sections with lowered counters and a range of sugar free drinks and free drinking water is available. We will have access lanes for those unable to queue for extended periods of time.
We have a welfare tent onsite if you need a chill-out zone or shade. Welfare staff are also available to support with any emotional or mental health needs.
There are medical teams onsite as well as an ambulance. We supply a fridge for medical safe storage in the medics/first aid tent. Please bring your medication in a clearly labelled container.
If you have any controlled medication you need to bring in with you, we recommend you bring this in its original packaging, along with your prescription, and declare this to gate and security staff when entering. If you have any concerns please email access@bristolpride.co.uk.
The charity Diverse UK is joining us again this year with their Sensory Calm Space. They aim to provide a safe, low-level stimulation and recalibration zone for those on the Autistic Spectrum or for those who need a place to have a moment of calm, rather than having to leave the festival. Diverse is a charity that exists to provide social contact for people who have a diagnosis of or identify as Autistic. Diverse is about helping people with autism to develop social networks and self-confidence using their interests and ultimately reducing social isolation. The small tent is located next to medics & welfare). Please keep an eye out for the logo above and feel free to talk to a member of staff about what they do across Bristol, South Gloucester, Bath and North Somerset.
Assistance dogs and ESAs (emotional support animals) are welcome, however for anyone with a pet dog, we would strongly advise not bringing them. We recommend assistance dogs wear a harness to indicate that they are working dogs, even if they would not usually do so. Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times.
Please bring along any food and a water bowl/water for them too.
A toileting area for assistance dogs will be marked on our access map.
There will be free water refill points onsite.
Please note that shade is limited on the site and it can get very hot and crowded.
There will be large screens with live feeds from the main stage and cabaret stage for increased visibility of the performances, as well as BSL interpreters inset, these will be visible from the viewing platforms.
The rest of the stages are smaller and will have BSL interpreters with cordoned off viewing areas.
The Main Stage, Cabaret Stage, and Circus Tent will have BSL interpreters on throughout the day.
There will be some access champions who know BSL. These volunteers can help with questions that you might have or information about the festival. Our volunteers who know BSL will have ‘BSL’ marked on their lanyards.
As requested we have marked a designated Deaf meeting point near the info point by the main gates to help meet others.
An induction loop will be available at the information point.
Charging for wheelchairs and other mobility aids will be available by the access entrance.
There will be no strobe lighting at Pride Day. There may be some confetti cannons and lighting effects used – please contact access@bristolpride.co.uk for further timing details.
We welcome any feedback, good or bad, to ensure Bristol Pride is as accessible as possible for people to enjoy. We send a post pride access survey but in the meantime if you have any comments, questions or concerns, please get in touch with access@bristolpride.co.uk.
The Parade March will gather in Castle Park by St Peters Church, before heading off to Lloyds Amphitheatre and the ‘We the Curious’ Millennium Square.
The route is 2 miles long and will take about 1 hour to complete. This year we have altered the route so will no longer be going up Union Street so the march is now more accessible and there is only one route for everyone to march together.
People are free to march wherever they would like in the parade, however there will be an informal access block near the front of the parade, behind the flag. This area will be supported by our access stewards, to keep space and keep the pace. We encourage people marching in this area, if possible, to wear masks. Please bring your own – our stewards will also have some spares.
We are unable to publish the parade route – however if you need this in advance as an access requirement please email access@bristolpride.co.uk
Water is not provided on the route however there is a refill fountain on Millennium Square at the end of the parade and many outlets in Bristol participate in the Refill scheme if you have an empty bottle you can fill up with.
There are a couple of accessible toilets along the route – see the below map for details.
ACCESSIBLE TOILET MAP FOR PRIDE ROUTE
If you want to be dropped off at Castle Park, please be aware there are limited stopping spaces but the best postcode for the site is BS1 3XE.
At the end of the Parade, those with Supporter Wristbands will be able to use the free shuttle buses to take people up to The Downs (a standard fare applies to those without wristbands). All the buses are accessible however queues can be busy at times, especially when the parade first arrives. We offer priority access for our access customers so make your way to the front of the queue and a member of First Bus or security will be able to assist you on to the next bus.
Pride Fortnight is a full of fantastic events using venues across the city. We want to make sure you have as much information as possible to ensure you are able to access these events.
For information regarding our partner venue’s access, please use this word document, free to download.
ACCESSIBILITY 2026 PRIDE FORNIGHT.
For further access questions, please email access@bristolpride.co.uk
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You can find information about the digital accessibility of the Bristol Pride website in our Website Accessibility Statement. This includes how accessible the site is, any known issues, and how to contact us if you need support or want to report an accessibility problem.
For further access questions, please email access@bristolpride.co.uk
