Disabled Ed Sheeran fans slam concert organisers over Roundhay Park access problems

Disabled ticket-holders claim they struggled to access the Ed Sheeran concert site on Friday night.
Ed Sheeran at Roundhay Park on Friday nightEd Sheeran at Roundhay Park on Friday night
Ed Sheeran at Roundhay Park on Friday night

One woman even left without seeing the show after being physically unable to reach the entrance she was directed to.

NHS worker Tricia Thorpe, who runs the End Stigma Leeds campaign, Tweeted that she had to been 'treated badly' and ended up with an obscured view of the stage. She decided to leave the gig early.

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"I have never been dealt with so badly as a disabled person as I am being treated at Ed Sheeran's concert; pushed from pillar to post, the public have been rude to us, now we are all sat with people stood in front of us. Upset and disappointed. We have left, and so have others."

Another NHS employee, Helen Cooper, Tweeted a screenshot of a Facebook post written by her disabled mother-in-law, who left before the concert began because she could not make her way to the stage.

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"Absolutely gutted for my mother-in-law. To not have adequate provisions for the disabled to actually get to the entrances and disabled area is appalling."

Her mother-in-law slammed the event as a 'farce' and stated that the distance from the shuttle bus drop-off point was too far from the concert site for those with mobility problems.

She claimed that she was told to climb a hill to reach the entrance for disabled ticket-holders, from where they would be directed to a reserved area, but was unable to do so. Staff then suggested she used another entrance a 20-minute walk away, but she decided to return home on the shuttle bus instead.

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Another fan, Joshua Sutton, Tweeted: "Ed Sheeran was incredible tonight - unfortunately the organisation for concert-goers who were disabled wasn’t great."

However, information on the official event website states that those with mobility issues should expect to walk a reasonable distance from the Blue Badge parking area and drop-off points.

Wheelchair viewing platforms are sited close to the stage and on the cricket pitch, with their own food stalls and toilets. There is a separate disability viewing area on Hill 60, but this does not have wheelchair platforms and is intended for those ticket-holders who wish to be away from the main crowd.

Event organisers Kilimanjaro. DHP Family and Futuresound said in a joint statement:-

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"There was confusion from some customers as to which entrance they should use for accessibility viewing locations, so we would like to reiterate that if your ticket is for Wheelchair Viewing Platforms A or B, you must arrive at the concert via Gate A which is on the lake side of the park. You should park at either Mansion Lane or the Lakeside (Blue Badge) car park for this entrance. Customers with a Hill 60 Accessible Area ticket should park on the event car parks off Princes Avenue and enter via Gate B."

Ed Sheeran plays his second and final concert at Roundhay Park tonight.

What disabled customers should expect at Roundhay Park

- Blue Badge parking is located on Soldier's Field by Entrance B. To access Entrance A, there is some grass to cross before reaching the path system, and it is then a 700-metre journey to the gate. There are uphill and downhill sections but the path is DDA compliant.

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- There are paths from The Mansion to Entrance A, and after that there are 150 metres of grass to cross as you enter the concert zone. Entrance A is the direct entry point for those wishing to use the wheelchair platforms.

- The journey from Entrance A to the wheelchair enclosures is around 150 metres across a grassed area and a further distance along a pathway. Platform A at the side of the stage requires a journey of 80 metres on the path and Platform B, on the cricket pitch, is a further 150 metres from the start of the path.

- Customers who enter via Entrance A but wish to watch the show from Hill 60 will need to access the area by walking up a hill or using a set of steps.

- Hill 60 is immediately accessible via Entrance B. The disabled area is 50 metres from the entry point.