Terms & Conditions

1. Tickets & Admittance

1.a. A valid Ticket must be produced by each Customer to gain entrance to an Event. The Ticket must be retained by the Customer whilst in the Theatre and be made available for inspection if requested by the Theatre staff. Failure to produce a valid Ticket may result in expulsion from the Theatre.

1.b. It is the Customer’s responsibility to contact the Theatre if Tickets are lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed. Duplicate tickets may be issued at the discretion of the Theatre for certain Events, but it is not possible to issue duplicate Tickets for all Events, e.g. where there is a possibility that the licensed capacity of the Theatre may be compromised. Additional security steps may be required if duplicates are to be issued.

1.c. It is the Customer’s responsibility to check their Tickets. The Theatre will make all reasonable endeavours to correct mistakes if brought to their attention prior to the Event for which the Ticket is valid. However, it may not always be possible to rectify mistakes.

1.d. It is the Customer’s responsibility to ascertain whether an Event has been cancelled or rescheduled. In such cases the Theatre will make all reasonable endeavours to notify Customers of the change, but cannot guarantee all will be informed before the date of the Event.

1.e. It is the Customer’s responsibility to assess the suitability of an Event for children where no official age restriction applies. Children under 18 months may be issued with a ticket to sit on a parent or guardian’s knee; all children over 18 months must have a seat purchased for them. Children under the age of 14 years must always be accompanied by an adult.

2. Conditions of Admission

2.a. The Theatre reserves the right to refuse admission to a Customer, or to eject them from the Theatre at any point, if in the Theatre’s reasonable opinion the Customer: is acting in a threatening or aggressive manner; uses threatening, abusive or insulting language; appears to be under the influence of alcohol and/ or drugs; may be a risk to the safety of Theatre staff, performers or audience members; may detract from the enjoyment of other Customers; fails, when required, to produce proof of identity, age or entitlement to a concession/ discount; fails to comply with instructions given by the Theatre’s staff; or is found to be in breach of these terms and conditions or statutory law. No refunds will be given to Customers who are refused entry or ejected due to their behaviour as suggested in, but not limited to, the examples shown above.

2.b. The Theatre will endeavour to admit latecomers at the first suitable opportunity, which may be the interval. For some Events late admission cannot be guaranteed.

2.c. The Theatre reserves the right to refuse readmission to the Theatre. If Customers wish to re-enter the Theatre they must check with the Theatre staff before they exit.

2.d. The Theatre reserves the right to conduct security searches and confiscate any item which, in the reasonable opinion of the Theatre staff, may cause danger or disruption to the Event or other Customers, or which the performers or their representatives have specifically requested are prohibited.

2.e. The Theatre will advise Customers in the venue on the day of the Event if stroboscopic lighting may be used during the Event. Customers with known medical conditions who may be susceptible to such lighting effects are recommended to seek further advice before their visit.

3. Ticket Cancellations, Exchanges, Refunds & Resells

3.a. Tickets cannot be refunded after purchase unless the Event is cancelled, abandoned, rescheduled or where there is a material change to the Event. A material change is a change which, in the Theatre’s reasonable opinion, would make the Event materially different to the Event that the purchasers of the Ticket could reasonably expect and would include a change to the advertised headline act (in the case of a comedy or music act) or the staging of a different production (in the case of a theatrical show). A cast change, the use of understudies, a change to a support act or an alteration to the running time does not constitute a material change. The Theatre cannot offer refunds or exchanges if cast members, whether advertised or not, are unable to perform due to illness or unforeseen circumstances

3.b. Refunds shall only be made to the person who purchased the Tickets and, where possible, by the same method used to purchase the Tickets. When it is not possible to refund via the same payment method the Theatre reserves the right to request additional identification or documentation to ensure the money is returned to the correct person.

3.c. In the case of a cancelled Event, Customers will be refunded the face value of the Tickets and any associated booking fees they have paid.

3.d. In the case of a postponed/ rescheduled Event, Customers will be offered alternative Tickets of the same value for the new date/ time, subject to availability. Where it is not possible to offer Tickets of the same value then alternative Tickets may be offered. Should the Customer not wish to accept these Tickets then a refund can be obtained for the face value of the Tickets and any associated booking fees. To claim a refund the Tickets must be returned to the Theatre prior to the rescheduled date. The Theatre cannot be held responsible for Tickets which have been lost in transit so Customers are recommended to use a secure form of delivery, the cost of which is non-refundable.

3.e. If an Event is abandoned after commencing Customers will be offered, subject to availability, equivalent value Tickets for an alternative performance of the same production or they will be refunded the face value of the Tickets and any associated booking fees they have paid.

3.f. In rare and unforeseen circumstances the Theatre may be required to revoke Customer’s tickets and offer alternative tickets for the same Event of the equivalent value. If this is not possible, alternative Tickets may be offered and any difference in value credited or debited to the Customer as applicable and with their consent. If the Theatre cannot offer Tickets of the equivalent value then the Customer can claim a refund of the face value of the Tickets and any associated booking fees.

3.g. The Theatre reserves the right to cancel Tickets which they reasonably suspect to have been booked fraudulently, which exceed any advertised limits on the quantity that a person/household can buy, or which they suspect to have been resold, or attempted to be resold, for financial gain. Any applicable restrictions on the quantity of Tickets that can be purchased will be made clear at the time of booking.

3.h. If a customer wishes to exchange their tickets for another performance of the same production, the Theatre may be able to do this subject to availability and on condition that the request is made at least 48 hours before the performance (at the discretion of the Theatre’s management, this 48 hour rule may be waived in the event of unexpected adverse weather conditions that restrict travel). No refund will be given if the ticket price for the alternative performance is less than the price of the ticket purchased, but when the ticket price of the alternative performance is higher, the customer will be required to pay the difference. No administration charge will be made for processing this exchange. Customers will not be able to exchange tickets for a different production under any circumstances.

3.i. If the Theatre is unable to exchange a customer’s tickets for another performance of the same production, or if the request to exchange is made less than 48 hours before the performance, or if the customer does not want to transfer to the alternative performance(s) offered, the Theatre will offer to try to resell the customer’s tickets, although it cannot guarantee that it will be successful. If the Theatre is able to resell a ticket, the full amount minus booking fee will be returned to the customer through a gift voucher. If the Theatre is unable to resell a ticket, the customer will not be recompensed in any way. No administration charge will be made to resell tickets.

4. Ticket Prices

4.a. Ticket prices are subject to change. The Theatre reserves the right to change the prices of Tickets and/or introduce discounts/ special offers which cannot be retrospectively applied to Tickets already purchased.

4.b. All discounts/special offers are offered subject to availability and therefore Tickets may not be available at all advertised prices at all times.

4.c. Concession/discounted Ticket prices must be applied for at the time of purchase and cannot be applied to Tickets already purchased. Proof of entitlement to a concession/discount may be requested from the Customer at the time of booking and/or when they attend the Event. Failure to produce reasonable proof of entitlement to a concession/ discount may invalidate the Ticket and result in refusal of admittance or ejection from the Theatre.

4.d. Concessions/discounts are

offered individually and cannot be used in conjunction with one another. If a Customer is eligible for multiple concessionary/discounted rates then they will receive the cheapest singularly discounted price, not a cumulatively reduced price.

5. Delivery

5.a. Tickets purchased via the Theatre’s website will be dispatched by email to the Customer directly. It is the responsibility of the Customer to inform the Theatre if the Tickets have not been received prior to the advertised start time of the Event. Where the Theatre is not notified of non-receipt of Tickets prior to the commencement of the Event neither duplicate Tickets nor a refund will be offered.

5.b. Postal dispatch can be requested specifically from the Theatre box office. The Theatre reserves the right to post Tickets only to the registered billing address of the card used to purchase them.

5.c. The Theatre reserves the right to make Tickets available for collection by the Customer at the Box Office. If this becomes necessary, the Theatre will make all reasonable endeavours to notify the Customer of the change in advance of the Event and any postage fees paid will be refunded.

5.d. When Tickets are being collected at the box office, the Customer may be requested to present the card used to purchase the Tickets as identification. If this is not possible they must contact the box office prior to the day of the Event.

6. Prohibitions & Audience Consent

6.a. The unauthorised resale, or attempted resale, of a Ticket is prohibited. The Theatre reserves the right to cancel Tickets which it reasonably suspects as being offered for unauthorised resale. Customers who are unsure if a seller is an authorised agent should contact the Theatre for clarification. The Theatre accepts no responsibility for the validity of Tickets purchased from unauthorised agents.

6.b. Unless prior written consent is obtained from the Theatre, Tickets may not be combined with hospitality, travel, accommodation, merchandise and/or any other product or service to create a Ticket package to sell for commercial gain.

6.c. The use of equipment to record or transmit audio and/or visual material inside the Theatre is strictly forbidden. Unauthorised recordings, tapes, films or similar items may be confiscated and destroyed. Any recording made in breach of these conditions shall belong to the Theatre and/or Promoter of the Event. Neither the Promoter nor the Theatre will be liable for the loss, theft or damage to confiscated items.

6.d. By attending the Event Customers give their consent to filming, photography and sound recording of themselves as members of the audience. The Theatre and/or Event Promoter will own the copyright of such material and may use such films/ photographs/recordings for any purpose, including commercial purposes, without payment or further notification.

6.e. Mobile telephones, messaging equipment and all similar personal electronic equipment must be switched off during the Event. Customers who do not comply and disrupt the enjoyment of the Event for other Customers may be ejected from the Theatre without refund.

6.f. Only food and drink purchased on the premises may be consumed within the Theatre, unless items are required on proven medical grounds or for babes in arms. Alcohol is not permitted in the auditorium, with the exception of in the boxes, for any performances.

6.g. Smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes is prohibited throughout the Theatre.

6.h. All Data received by the Theatre is processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation 2016. Card payment information is authorised by third-party software and is encrypted and processed securely in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.

7. Gift Vouchers

7.a. Gift vouchers can be redeemed in full or in part to purchase Tickets for participating Events in person or by telephone via the Theatre’s box office or on the Theatre’s website.

7.b. Gift Voucher credit expires two years after the purchase date, unless otherwise specified. Expired vouchers cannot be redeemed, refunded or extended. The expiry date is clearly printed on all vouchers.

7.c. Gift vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash.

7.d. Customers have the right to return unused gift vouchers within 14 days of purchase; qualifying vouchers which have been partially redeemed within this time period will be eligible for a partial refund equal to the unused value of the vouchers; after 14 days of purchase gift vouchers are non-refundable.

8. Memberships

8.a. Customers have the right to cancel membership within 14 days of purchase, after which time the membership is non-refundable. If benefits of a membership are used prior to cancelling it the Theatre reserves the right to withdraw and reverse the benefits the Customer has gained. Waived booking fees may be deducted from the refund; prices discounted for members may be rebooked at full price and the difference in cost deducted from the refund; and Tickets purchased during any pre-sale/Friends’ priority booking period may be cancelled and a refund issued.

8.b. Friends Memberships are valid from the date of purchase for 12 months, unless otherwise specified.

8.c. The Theatre reserves the right to amend the cost of the membership and the benefits it provides without prior warning.

9. Merchandise

9.a. Grand Opera House merchandise is made available to purchase in person via the Theatre’s box office or on the Theatre’s website. Customers are advised that Production branded merchandise is held at the venue for the duration of the performance period only, after which refunds/ exchanges will not be possible.

9.b Customers have the right to return unused Grand Opera House merchandise within 28 days of purchase; qualifying merchandise which is returned in the original purchased condition, will be eligible for exchange. This does not affect your statutory rights.

9.c. Merchandise purchases can be refunded up to 28 days from the date of purchase, if goods are found to be faulty.

10. Hospitality

10.a. Any hospitality bookings at the Theatre must be cancelled with 48 or more hours notice of the Event for a full refund. Within 48 hours of the event a refund can no longer be offered and full charges will apply.

11. Liability

11.a. The Theatre will not be responsible for any injury or loss, theft or damage of Customer’s personal belongings, other than that caused as a result of negligence or other breach of statutory duty.

11.b. Personal arrangements, including but not limited to, travel, accommodation and subsistence relating to the Event are made entirely at the Customer’s own risk and the Theatre shall not be liable for any losses incurred from these arrangements.

11.c. Nothing in these terms and conditions seeks to exclude any liability of the Theatre for death or personal injury caused by its negligence or other type of liability which cannot by law be excluded or limited.

11.d. These terms and conditions are governed by NI Law and any disputes which may arise with the Theatre are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the NI Courts.

Definitions

‘Ticket’ means any item, tangible or intangible, which confers the right to attend an Event.

‘Customer’ includes both the person who purchased, or intends to purchase, Tickets, a gift voucher, membership, or merchandise, and those within his or her party who are attending the Event, each of whom must possess a valid Ticket.

‘Theatre’ means any location where the Event is being held and representatives of this location including but not limited to the management, security, front of house and box office teams.

‘Event’ means any entertainment or hospitality event, or performance occurring at the Theatre in respect of which Tickets are sold.

‘Promoter’ means the entity which is staging/ producing the Event, which may be different to the Theatre.

Revised January 2024.