A disabled Dundee teen who travelled to Newcastle to see one of her favourite artists was told she couldn’t get in because of her wheelchair.
Disappointed Hannah Harper, 17, had made the trip with her friend to see Yungblud, also known as Dominic Richard Harrison.
After securing tickets at the last minute, Hannah was excited to see the performance by the punk star on his sell-out tour.
But after trying to call the venue more than 30 times to make sure she would be able to get access in her wheelchair, Hannah was then told there was no room for her when she arrived on Tuesday.
Disabled Dundee teen turned away
“We got tickets last minute because it was a sold-out gig, we were actually already driving down in the hope we would get tickets,” Hannah said.
Once she arrived with her ticket, the people at the door said they couldn’t let her in.
“At the door they asked if we phoned up, and we checked and between the two of us we’d tried to call over 30 times,” she said.
“We didn’t get an answer at all.
“He just said he didn’t think he’d be able to let us in because they had their full capacity of wheelchair users.
“He went and spoke to the manager, and came and told us they couldn’t risk their licence.
“At the end of the day, there would have been no issue if I wasn’t in a wheelchair. It just feels like they said ‘you are in a wheelchair and you can’t come in.'”
Determined, she and Abby stayed outside the music venue, even speaking to members of Yungblud’s band and support act in the hope someone inside would hear about the situation.
A spokeswoman for the O2 Academy in Newcastle said an internal review was under way into the incident. Hannah has also been offered a refund.
Hannah has since been contacted by Yungblud personally who apologised and has offered to pay for Hannah to attend one of his upcoming gigs, an offer she is excited to accept.
“Yungblud messaged me yesterday and apologised, obviously it wasn’t his fault but he offered to pay for us to go and see another gig on this tour,” she added.
I go to concerts a couple of times a month and there’s always an issue regarding accessibility.
Hannah Harper
Speaking about the barriers face, Hannah said although this was the first time she had been refused completely, it’s normal for her to experience issues.
“I go to concerts a couple of times a month and there’s always an issue regarding accessibility,” she said.
“What happened on Tuesday is the first time I’ve just been turned away from somewhere, and that’s just not right.”
A spokeswoman for the O2 Academy said: “We are aware of this unfortunate and regrettable incident and have begun a thorough internal inquiry.
“We sincerely apologise for any misunderstanding that has resulted in a negative experience.”