Birmingham Hippodrome has today (Mon 13 Dec) announced that proof of Covid status will be required before entering attending a show from Saturday 18 December 2021, in order to protect audience members, the casts and staff during the busy festive season.

All audience members over the age of 18 will need to show an NHS COVID Pass or proof of a negative lateral flow on entry to the venue. Those who are exempt from an NHS COVID Pass will be required to present a negative lateral flow test. Audience members are already required to wear masks in all areas of the venue, and this is further enforced by additional measures and messaging throughout each show

Chilina Madon, Director of Audiences and Communications, explained the change in policy: “We have a busy few months ahead of us with our productions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Dear Santa playing to over 100,000 people during December and January. With relative uncertainty around the impact of Omicron, we strongly believe it is important to protect our casts, crew, staff and audiences as best we can.

“Introducing the need to show an NHS COVID Pass or proof of a negative test is just one of the many safety measures that we have at the venue, including the mandatory wearing of masks. We want everyone to feel safe when visiting Birmingham Hippodrome and would like to thank our wonderful audiences for their understanding and support as we work to ensure our much loved Christmas shows still go ahead and that Birmingham Hippodrome remains a welcoming venue for everyone.”

Check lists will be emailed to the main ticket booker ahead of their show to ensure audiences members are prepared before arriving at the venue.

Chilina added: “We are on the road to recovery after an extremely challenging 18 months and are doing everything in our power to ensure that we can continue to bring world-class productions to the people of our region.”

Rigorous testing regimes and backstage protocols continue to be in place for theatre staff and performers including daily testing, wearing of masks and social distancing where possible.

Michael Harrison, Chief Executive of Crossroads Pantomimes, said: “We are delighted to be in the rehearsal room, creating a sensational new production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears for Birmingham Hippodrome. The production is already looking fantastic, and we can’t wait to share it with our audiences from Saturday 18 December.

“Pantomime underpins the year for many theatres around the UK and it’s reassuring that venues, including Birmingham Hippodrome, are doing everything possible to help audiences enjoy theatre safely over the Christmas period and beyond.”

Birmingham Hippodrome holds the See it Safely mark, developed by Society of London Theatres & UK Theatre, which gives audiences confidence that a theatre is operating in accordance with the latest Government guidelines.

See it Safely measures include enhanced cleaning, contactless ticketing and security checks, face coverings and the ability to exchange tickets if unable to attend due to Covid.

You can find out more about all our Covid safety measures here.