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OPEN BOOK CAPE TOWN

Accessibility

Open Book Festival is in the process of making all elements more inclusive. Please bear with us as we make changes, and if you have any suggestions, please contact info@openbookfestival.co.za.

Venues

Youth Fest

  • Public libraries are wheelchair friendly, as is the Museum of Childhood and Bertha House. There are also disabled access bathrooms available.
  • The Book Lounge is not wheelchair friendly.

Workshop Week 

  • Bertha House is wheelchair friendly.
  • There is a disabled access bathroom available on the ground floor.

Open Book Festival

The HCC Homecoming Centre is home to different venues.

  • Star Theatre
    • The ground floor is accessible by wheelchair. There is limited wheelchair seating that can be booked on Webtickets.
  • Avalon Theatre
    • This venue is not accessible by wheelchair. 
    • There is a flight of stairs to the venue that does not have a rail. If you need assistance, please let the front of house team know.
  • Workshop
    • This venue is wheelchair friendly via the lift off the Marketplace.
    • There is a flight of stairs with a rail going to this venue, but it is quite steep and can be slippery. There is a lift you can use as an alternative.
  • Marketplace
    • This venue is wheelchair friendly.
  • Bathrooms
    • There is a disabled access bathroom on the ground floor in the same direction as the Star Theatre.
  • The Book Lounge
    • This space is not wheelchair friendly.
    • There is a flight of stairs that goes down to the basement which has a rail, but this is quite steep. Book Lounge staff are available to assist.

 

Tickets (for the Festival in September)

  • Webtickets handles all of our ticket sales.
  • While tickets are unreserved, disabled access tickets are available.
  • We are offering limited priority access tickets which allow elderly, injured, disabled and neurodivergent audience members to enter the venue early.
    Priority seating will be situated at the front of each venue.
    Please be aware that the time before each event starts is for sound check, so please keep conversations soft, don’t accept phone calls and don’t use any flash photography.
  • If you have a carer you would like to have with you, and would like to speak to us about a discounted rate for a second ticket, please email openbooktickets@gmail.com.

 

Money is in Short Supply

Many of us are forced to make terrible choices when figuring out how to get to the end of the month. This is what we can do to assist:

  • Complimentary Tickets – we offer comps to students, librarians, activists, and to those who experience price as a barrier to entry. There are some events that are not eligible, and of course if the event is sold out, we cannot offer you a comp. Email openbooktickets@gmail.com with your request.
  • If you are concerned about accessing safe transport to and from the Festival, please let us know. We do what we can to assist with transport stipends. Please bear in mind that this is budget dependent, but we will do what we can.

 

PArking

Parking is a growing challenge for anyone accessing the City during business days.

We recommend that people use e-hailing services where possible. If you do opt to use an e-hailer, it is worth considering using Buitenkant Street as your drop-off and collection point (Caledon Street can get very full).

If you are using your own vehicle, consider the following:

  • Harrington Square Parking Lot – we are working on reserving some spots for the use of Open Book patrons, but have been battling to reach them. Currently this is the closest and safest parking option.
  • If you have parked further away, we strongly recommend you move your vehicle closer to our venue once business closes for the day (on a Friday this is usually 16h00).
  • If you are concerned about getting to your vehicle safely, please speak to the Open Book Information Table at the Foyer entrance so that we can accompany you.

 

SafEty

  • We have a safety officer on site throughout the Festival, for medical emergencies.
  • If you need to be accompanied to your car, or to your accommodation, please request assistance at the Open Book Information table.
  • If there is another patron who is making you feel unsafe, please let an Open Book staff member know. Frankie, Mervyn and Nicci are all on site throughout the Festival to help with any concerns.
  • Please also see our Code of Conduct.

 

Miscellaneous

We are aware that the Festival can get overwhelming. If you need a break, we recommend you visit the upstairs area of the Marketplace. In 2026, you will find a letter writing station, the Cape Town Craft Club, and Make a Muck, who will be guiding you in the creation of a zine.

This area is wheelchair accessible using the lift off the Marketplace. 

Stimming and noise cancelling headphones are welcome!

 

CONTACT

If you have an urgent question, the quickest way to reach us is to email frankie@openbookfestival.co.za.