A stunning Grade I-listed 18th-century cloth hall, the only remaining Georgian cloth hall in the world, in fact. Now home to bars, restaurants and exhibitions, this beautiful setting transforms into possibly one of the most picturesque gig venues in the North of England. Can somewhere with such history and elegance hit the right note with music fans? Read on!
BOOKING
Bookings for The Piece Hall are made through Ticketmaster.
As part of the ‘TK Maxx presents . . .’ events run by Cuffe and Taylor, the venue gets some high-quality, big artists gracing the stage. In an average Summer, there’s literally something for everyone!
Accessible seating is limited at the venue. If you don’t have accessible platform tickets, there are a few walls, benches and steps where it’s safe to sit throughout the show; otherwise, it’s all standing. If you do choose a place to sit, your view may be obstructed by other people standing.
The venue has one large accessible platform on two levels, offering step-free seating for wheelchair users, ambulant disabled and one companion. To use the access platform, you need to select either a wheelchair or an ambulant disabled ticket, and you can add a companion ticket for free.
If you have a hearing impairment, you need to select the hearing impairment ticket option when booking. This will give you entry into the main standing area, and a BSL interpreter will be positioned at the side of the stage. Hearing impairment tickets do not grant you access to the platform. Still, if you require access to other facilities, such as accessible toilets, you need to contact the venue to see if they can arrange an additional wristband for you. There is no BSL interpretation for dance music events, but if you wish to use the facility, you need to contact the venue at least 60 days before the event to arrange it. If you require the use of a hearing loop, there are various points throughout the grounds, and you will be given the location details before the event.
If you have a guide dog, you will need to contact the venue in advance to let them know, but your dog will be welcome to join you.
If you have an access need, don’t need platform access and need an essential companion with you, you’ll need to purchase 2 general admission tickets. You can then contact the access team at Ticketmaster, send them proof of your requirements, and, if they deem it suitable, they will refund you for one of your tickets. This is not guaranteed.
If you have a temporary impairment such as an injury or you are pregnant, The Piece Hall says:
“Please note that our accessible facilities are unable to cater for people with temporary impairments. This is considered to be anything that affects an individual for less than 12 months, such as broken bones, healing injuries or pregnant women.”
Buyers can purchase 6 tickets for each event. When you book accessible tickets, you can’t book any general tickets on the same transaction, so if you’re going with friends who don’t require access facilities, they will need to book separately.
As with other accessible bookings through Ticketmaster, once you’ve placed your order, you will be contacted to ask you to provide evidence of your eligibility. This can be added to your Ticketmaster account, so you don’t need to do it again for a set period (may vary).
Your tickets for the event will be delivered to your Ticketmaster account and the Ticketmaster app. You can then upload them to your mobile wallet. You don’t have to, but be aware that if the internet signal isn’t good at the gate, you might not be able to access your tickets!
We also received an email from Ticketmaster about a month before the show asking us to complete an Access Facilities form. The form is quick and easy to complete and asks which show you are attending, how you’re getting there, what tickets you’ve bought, and what facilities you will require on-site.
7 days before the show, we received an email with links to event information and how to access our e-Tickets.
LOCATION AND GETTING THERE
The Piece Hall is in the Yorkshire town of Halifax, close to many shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants.
There are a few hotels in Halifax, including Travelodge and Premier Inn.
The road links to the town are good – you’re only a short drive (less than 20 minutes) from the M62. If you are driving into Halifax, The Piece Hall doesn’t have its own car park, but there are a few parking options close to the venue. The closest car park to the accessible entrance is the Woolshops shopping centre car park. Open 24/7 with 300 parking spaces, this chargeable car park is reasonably priced. It’s ANPR-controlled, and you can pay at the on-site machine or use the YourParkingSpace app.
The next closest option is the Eureka! Children’s Museum. Again, chargeable, but it is kept open later on days when The Piece Hall has events.
If you’re willing to have a drive around, there are several accessible parking bays and on-street parking bays around the town. Blue Badge holders can park for free, with no time limit, in on-street bays in the town. There are some parking bays on Westgate, very close to the West entrance, but these are not in use on event days.
Halifax railway station is close to the venue and has step-free access. Northern train services through the station connect directly to Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool, Manchester and Chester.
Halifax bus station is nearby, with connections across West Yorkshire.
There are also taxi services in the local area with wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
When you arrive in Halifax, be prepared for some uneven terrain. The town has its fair share of hills and cobbles, so getting around can be tricky. Allow plenty of time to get to the venue entrance.
GETTING IN
The Piece Hall has 4 entrances, one on each side of the building. Each entrance is for a different section of ticketholders.
North Gate is the designated accessible entrance, closest to the raised viewing platform. It's step-free with some cobbled areas. Live at Lounge VIP customers can also enter via this entrance.
East Gate is a general admission entrance which has stairs
West Gate is the entrance for Balcony Ticket holders. This entrance is level, and there is lift access to the balconies if you have a relevant ticket.
South Gate is a general admission entrance, accessed via an inclined path from the street with some cobbled areas.
I’ll be completely honest – I went to the wrong entrance. I headed straight for the West gate, the gate I’ve used in previous years for the accessible viewing platform. I hadn’t realised the platform had been moved inside the venue and the gate allocation had changed. My fault for not reading the up-to-date information. Although the map on the Ticketmaster event page was marked as 2025, it still used the old layout. I only found the new map in the online access guide.
It wasn’t a problem, though. We could still have our bags checked and be admitted through this gate; we would just need to make our way to the access platform and identify ourselves to the staff to get our wristbands.
At the West Gate, you are queuing on a downhill incline. As you come down the road, it’s tarmacked, but as you get towards the gate, it is cobbled
The bag check was fairly quick. There was a large table to put your bags onto and grey trays to empty your pockets into. You then passed through an electronic scanner and collected your things on the other side. The scanner was very narrow – wide enough to get my chair through. Our guest for this event has a pacemaker, so we informed the security staff that she was unable to use the scanner. She was taken to the side and manually checked with a scanning wand, but it didn’t take any longer for her to get in.
Once you’re scanned and checked, you pass through a large stone archway, and you’re in the Piece Hall square. From here, we headed left to the newly positioned platform.
Gates for events open at 6pm, but please be aware that the last entry to the venue is 8pm, so don’t leave it too late to make your way to the entrance gate!
** 2026 UPDATE **
This time, I used the correct gate! I headed straight to the North gate, which is the accessible entrance. The way to the gate is between a row of shops, and the path is paved with slabs and easy to wheel on.
There is some shelter from the weather in front of some of the shops if you are queuing.
At this entrance, we had our bags checked and rucksacks were tagged with a plastic tag. The tag colour varies from event to event. We then had our names checked off a list, our tickets scanned, and the relevant wristband put on us. This year’s wristbands are more eye-catching than last year’s and, again, the colour varies from event to event. There was no scanning or electronic security, and the entry pathway was wide.
From this entrance, it was a short, slightly uphill wheel through a large archway into the hall square and onto the platform. The pathway through is quite narrow, as fencing creates a two-way system, and the fencing legs stick out a fair bit. The fencing may need to be moved to accommodate larger chairs.
Once you are in the square, the pathways are mostly smooth paving, so it’s easy to get around; you just need to be aware that there are some steps and benches to avoid, which can be difficult to see when it’s busy.
FACILITIES
In some ways, the facilities let the venue down! A single accessible toilet that doubles up as a baby change facility means the queues for the toilet can be long. There are staff at the toilet door to ensure people who need to use it get priority, but it’s still difficult. The toilets are in the corner of the square, behind the platform. The pathway between the toilets and the platform gets busy, and it can be tricky to get through the crowd, but staff are always willing to help out. The toilet itself is a standard accessible toilet with the facilities and grab rails you would expect. The mirror is positioned at a lower level. The toilet doubles up as a baby-changing facility. The sanitary and nappy bins are pedal-operated bins, which are not ideal in an accessible facility. On occasion, a mobile hoist is positioned in the toilet, which reduces the room to move around within the toilet, and partially obstructs the door and access to the hand dryer.
Along with the accessible toilet, there are a couple of regular toilets, but these aren’t kept exclusively for platform wristband holders, and they do get busy. Again, the staff will try to prioritise, but it’s not always practical. There are lots of portaloos for general use at the North and South entrances, but the ones in the corner of the square are closest and tend to get very busy.
The closest Changing Places facility is in the Eureka! Children's Science Museum, a short distance from the Piece Hall, but is only open during the museum’s opening hours, closing no later than 5pm.
The merchandise desk is constructed with scaffolding and has a one-way system. It’s positioned in the corner, behind the platform, near the toilets and has a ramp leading up from the left-hand side. The platform levels out in the service area and has steps back down on the right-hand side. The queue is managed with barriers, but wristband holders can jump the queue. There is clear signage to show this is available. Staff will move the barriers to allow you up the ramp and back down again when you’re finished. The desk has no counter, so you can easily see everything on offer, and the mobile card machines are easy to use.
There are food trucks and bars on-site. The bars offer lowered counters, dedicated accessible lanes, and large-print menus. There is also an in-seat drink service on the access platform, where staff will take your order and card payment and deliver your drinks to your seat. Where there aren’t lowered counters at the food trucks, staff are briefed to recognise the access wristbands and, where possible, will come out of the truck to serve you. Most will have large-print menus available.
If you have food allergies or require a specific diet for medical reasons, you can contact the venue beforehand to arrange a pass to allow food and non-alcoholic drinks into the venue to ensure you can eat safely.
There are tap water points around the venue.
The welfare tent is kitted out with staff to help out if you need it, whether that’s medical, emotional or mental. They also have earplugs, sunscreen, water and sensory equipment.
The BSL interpreter is on the left-hand side of the stage (see Booking), illuminated nicely. A hearing loop is available at various points throughout the Piece Hall – if you have hearing-impaired tickets, you will receive the relevant information before the event.
** 2026 UPDATE **
They’ve added additional accessible toilets!!! There are now 2 accessible toilets, exclusively for wristband holders, located within the accessible platform compound. Both have a small ramp to get you over the lip in the door threshold, and both have doors which open outwards. The ramp on the right-hand toilet is rubber, whereas the ramp on the left-hand toilet is wooden, making it light and meaning it doesn’t stay in place and is therefore difficult to wheel up and down and causes a trip hazard when it moves. Neither door fit properly, leaving a large gap at the top - if you can see the balcony, surely they can see you? But they do have lights in!
The toilet on the left is an accessible toilet and has a drop-down baby change table. There is an open-top waste bin for general rubbish and a pedal-operated sanitary bin. There are grab rails around the toilet, and the toilet paper dispenser is wall-mounted but quite a reach forward from the toilet. There is no sink, only a hand sanitiser dispenser. One of the mirrors on the wall is at a low level, but the other is above the baby change table. There are also 2 coat hooks, which are too high to reach from a seated position. The lock on the door is easy to operate, and there is a grab rail to assist with opening and closing the door.
The toilet on the right is baffling. The sign above the door states ‘Enhanced Access’ but doesn’t actually have a disabled logo on the front. Again, it is an accessible toilet and has a drop-down baby change table. There is an open-top waste basket for general rubbish, and pedal-operated sanitary and clinical waste bins - not ideal in accessible facilities! This one has no grab rails around the toilet, and the toilet paper dispenser is wall-mounted but quite a reach forward from the toilet and higher up the wall than in the other toilet. This one does have a sink, combined in a single unit with a urinal. Who wants to be sitting that close to a urinal to wash their hands? Even worse, the water for the sink and urinal is operated by a foot pedal on the floor – not accessible to everyone! There is a hand sanitiser dispenser, but again it’s mounted high on the wall, as are the hand paper towels. There is a single mirror, high on the wall above the sink. There are also 2 coat hooks, which are too high to reach from a seated position. There's a small mural painted on the ceiling to give the impression there's a hole in the roof, and you can see the blue, cloudy sky! The lock on the door is easy to operate, and there is a grab rail to assist with opening and closing the door. I don’t quite understand what is ‘Enhanced’ about the access in this toilet – it’s more inconvenient and has fewer accessible features. Odd!
The merchandise desk has been reconfigured for 2026 and is now in a standalone shed with level access. There isn’t a lowered counter, but the counters are reachable, and the merch is easy to view pinned up on the wall.
When we revisited, the country was in a heat wave. There’s not a lot of shelter in The Piece Hall, and the access platform is wide open! As we queued to enter through the accessible entrance (North), we were given free cans of water, and multiple times during the evening, staff came onto the platform to offer sunscreen to anyone who didn’t have any.
As we went onto the platform, we were told that there is now in-seat service for drinks, food, and merch. Staff come around with laminated menus and a card machine, bringing your orders to you. No one came by to offer us any merch, but we went and bought our own before it got too busy.
The right-hand end of the upper level of the accessible viewing platform now has a large TV screen showing the BSL interpreter on the stage, so you are no longer required to stand near the front to see them.
The right-hand end of the upper level of the accessible viewing platform now has a large TV screen showing the BSL interpreter on the stage, so you are no longer required to stand near the front to see them.
There is signage throughout the venue advertising that you can show your accessible wristband and move to the front of any queue to get the assistance you require.
SEATING
If you haven’t bought tickets for the accessible viewing platform, there are quite a few places you can sit, but you’ll need to arrive in good time as space is limited. There are a number of walls, steps and benches you can sit on, but there is no guarantee your view won’t be obstructed.
The Piece Hall has a large, 2-tier accessible viewing platform diagonally opposite the stage. There are no seat numbers or reservations, and it’s first-come-first-served
As you face the stage, to your left-hand side is the entrance to the lower level. It’s slightly ramped but wide, leading straight to the front corner of the platform. On this lower part of the platform, there are 3 rows of fold-up seats for ambulant disabled people. The seats are quite small and narrow.
As you face the stage, to your right-hand side is the entrance to the upper level. Again, wide and ramped, it leads across the back of the platform, up to the back-left corner. Again, there are 3 rows of the same fold-up chairs with gaps between them for wheelchairs. None of the fold-up seats are fixed in position, so they can easily be moved to accommodate wheelchairs of all sizes. The right-hand end of the platform has a charging point for electric chairs and equipment.
As you face the stage, to your right-hand side is the entrance to the upper level. Again, wide and ramped, it leads across the back of the platform, up to the back-left corner. Again, there are 3 rows of the same fold-up chairs with gaps between them for wheelchairs. None of the fold-up seats are fixed in position, so they can easily be moved to accommodate wheelchairs of all sizes. The right-hand end of the platform has a charging point for electric chairs and equipment.
The railings around the platforms are scaffolding poles, so nice and sturdy. They are high enough to be safe but not too high as to obstruct your view. Even on the lower platform, you are raised a good height above the standing crowd in front of you, which means your view remains unobstructed and also prevents the common problem of the front edge of the platform being used as a drinks shelf! There is a wooden board between the platform floor and the bottom rail of the fencing to reduce the risk of anything being dropped or kicked off the platform.
There are clear plastic rubbish bags tied to the railings at various points on the platforms.
The platforms are for seating only – platform users must not stand, as they can obstruct others' view.
The platforms are exposed to the weather. There is no cover or shelter, so you need to come prepared. On this occasion, rain was forecast, so we’d brought waterproofs, but once it started, it didn’t know when to stop. The platform surface was very wet, and the fold-up chairs got soaked.
There are dedicated access platform staff on hand at all times to help out. I can’t credit them enough for how they helped out in the awful weather. They were doing their regular job of getting everyone wristbanded and seated, giving the lowdown of where the toilets were, arranging in-seat drink orders, and smiling throughout. They were brilliant, though, helping to put our guests’ powered wheelchair attachment safely in a corner with limited shelter, covering it with empty bin bags to keep the rain off and the electrics safe.
View-wise, the platforms are great – you’ve got a straight-on view of the stage, well above the standing crowd with no pillars or posts to block your view. We were towards the right-hand end of the platform, and there was a slight obstruction from the sound tent. As an adult, from a seated position, the tent didn’t block your view of the stage, but our young guest struggled to see over the tent, so we swapped seats. The tent also became a distraction when it got wet, and the bright lights reflected off it as the sky darkened. It’s not a major issue but something to be aware of if you end up sitting at that end.
Some people might be disappointed at being at ‘the back’, but you aren’t actually that far away from the stage. When we first went to the venue (August 2024?), the platform was nearer to the stage, set off to one side. The view of the stage was excellent, but the platform was smaller, and you were a long way from the accessible toilet, which was a difficult journey when the venue was busy. Personally, I preferred it the old way, but I can completely get why they moved it. It works well for everyone.
** 2026 UPDATE **
The platform is still the same, on two levels diagonally opposite the stage, but the configuration has changed slightly. The entrance to both levels is now on the right-hand side, making it easier for platform staff to deal with everyone.
The fold-up chairs have been replaced with larger, more rigid, and more comfortable chairs.
The access staff on the platform had a seating map printed on a clipboard. When you show your wristband and confirm your name, they will allocate you a suitable spot. This time, we were on the lower platform. It was level to wheel on to with plenty of room to manoeuvre around other people.
The weather couldn’t have been more different on our revisit. It was scorching sunshine. When we entered the Piece Hall, the sun was above the corner where the toilets are (North-West), so it was directly on the backs of the people on the platform. It wasn’t until the sun started to drop lower than the level of the balconies that we got any sort of shade. People sitting in the back row of the lower section of the platform had some shade from the upper platform. The staff were offering sunscreen, but it was vital to have some kind of protection from the direct sunshine.
The lower platform had a proper plastic bin rather than tied-up bin bags, which made it easy to drop your rubbish in.
Only the farthest left seating position of the lower platform was slightly obstructed by the sound tent.
GETTING BACK OUT
Despite it being early July, it was dark when the show finished. There is lighting around the Piece Hall on the balconies. The large lights at the front of the stage were fully illuminated, clearly lighting the floor area. A floodlight also appeared from behind the sound tent. It was a large rig with 4 large lights on a large post, which was hydraulically raised in sections once the band had left the stage. It made it so much easier to see where you were going, especially with the ground being so wet.
You can leave by any exit, as long as it is accessible to you.
As always, I recommend waiting a few minutes before you head for an exit. With 4 gates, the square empties quite quickly, and it’s much easier to get around when you can see where you’re going. You might find the usual obstructions of discarded cups, but that should be as bad as it gets.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
I really like this venue – it looks nice, the staff are friendly, it’s well organised, and it’s always a good experience. The downfall is the lack of accessible toilets (improved in 2026). You have to consciously plan when to go, queue, and be prepared to make your way through a crowd to get there (there are now 2 on the accessible viewing platform).
The platform placement is good and works well on 2 levels. I preferred the original placement (pre-2025), but where it is now is much more practical.
GUEST FEEDBACK
Fellow wheelchair user Elle and her son joined us as our guests to help review The Piece Hall. As newbies to the venue, and Elle's son only just starting his 'gig life', we were intrigued to see what they thought of the venue.
"Attending The Script with AAA101 was an absolute privilege. My son and I had never visited The Piece Hall before and were therefore unsure what to expect regarding access. The information with the tickets was updated as we were waiting for entry; however, staff assured us that we could still enter at the previously advised gate, and this was no problem.
On entering, because of my pacemaker, I was diverted out of the security queue to avoid the security scanners and to receive a manual search. This involved a handheld scanner on my legs and a quick bag search. Staff were friendly and explained everything well.
Entering the venue, staff directed us to the viewing platform where we were checked in, given access bands and introduced to staff. This was efficient but not rushed, and the information given was thorough.
When on the platform, staff came around and offered drinks service, which made the process much easier- I haven’t experienced this at other venues, so this was great.
In front of part of the platform, there was a shelter, which unfortunately blocked my son’s view, but taller adults were able to manage with this.
When on the platform, staff came around and offered drinks service, which made the process much easier- I haven’t experienced this at other venues, so this was great.
In front of part of the platform, there was a shelter, which unfortunately blocked my son’s view, but taller adults were able to manage with this.
There was one accessible toilet with a bit of a queue, but the actual facilities were adequate for my needs.
The merchandise stall staff were able to allow me onto the platform where the stall was, removing a barrier and escorting us past the queue. The staff didn’t rush us and were keen to ensure we had the right sizes, etc.
Staff throughout Piece Hall were extremely friendly and helpful.
Due to the weather, I had concerns about my front wheel getting too wet - staff helped to ensure this was covered and were keen to help.
The downside to the venue was that the accessible viewing area (as with the whole venue) was not undercover, so we got very wet, and puddles of water were gathering on the platform. Going down the ramp to get off the platform for a toilet visit, I had to give up on trying to hold my wheels and get my son to catch me at the bottom, as it was just unmanageable; however, staff offered assistance and were very helpful.
I would be very keen to revisit the venue, even travelling from Nottingham, as it was so atmospheric and the staff were so friendly.
The Script are my favourite band, this was my son’s first gig. A massive thanks to Damian and Ali for inviting us and making the gig one to remember."
