What's On at Burnley Mechanics

Pre-theatre dining

at 1855 Bistro & Bar

The Greatest Magician

This dazzling, five star rated magic show will leave you aching with laughter and dizzy in disbelief.

Burnley Mechanics Theatre is a magnificent Grade 2 Star listed building opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1987 in order to present the absolute best in entertainment, special events and community activities in the town.  Inside you will find a modern, multipurpose venue offering impressive performance spaces, state-of-the art technical facilities and several comfortable and relaxing spaces to drink, dine and meet friends.  This historic venue has played host to some of the finest talent ranging from Sir Ian McKellen, The Osmonds, John Bishop, Alan Carr, Lee Nelson, Tim Vine, the stars of Strictly Come Dancing and our fabulous local societies; Burnley Light Opera and Burnley Pantomime Society.  The Mechanics is also the number one choice for the areas many superb dance and theatre schools to showcase their emerging talent.

Read about our history

Book a Table

Tel:

01282 664400

Tickets can be booked in person and over the phone from the box office during our opening hours, which are
Tuesday – Saturday, 8.30am to 2.30pm.
No booking fees apply at the box office.
Please note: tickets cannot be exchanged, replaced, or refunded and all tickets sent via post will be sent to the card holder's address only. £1 fee applicable.

Parking:

Burnley Mechanics is situated in Burnley town centre next door to the Town Hall on Manchester Road.
For more information on car parking please click below for a town centre parking map.

Click here

Please note that there is a car park to the rear of Burnley Mechanics Theatre. This car park is contract only, Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm and cannot be used by the public during these times. Outside of these hours, public parking is permitted, and a pay and display system is in place for Saturday’s between the hours of 8am and 9pm.

 

 

 

 

Accessibility:

Disabled patrons

Burnley Mechanics welcomes people with disabilities. Assistant Dogs can accompany their owners, and water will be provided. A Textphone service is available on 01282 664444. The Fire Authorities advise that all wheelchair patrons remain in their wheelchairs throughout any performance, and as such, transferring from a wheelchair to a regular seat is not permitted. Able bodied companions will be requested to assist should an emergency evacuation arise.  If you use a wheelchair it is vitally important that you inform the Box Office at time of booking as our licensing regulations allow for two wheelchair users per event. Wheelchair spaces are situated on row ‘A’ of the front stalls. Burnley Mechanics operate a free ticket for essential carer’s policy. Please check with Box Office for details as conditions apply.

Concessions and Babes in Arms

All theatre performances are not recommended for children under 2 years of age. Burnley Mechanics reserves the right to ask parents to leave the performance space if they are causing a disturbance.

For most Mechanics promotions discounts are available to Children under the age of 16, those in full-time education, over 60 or in full receipt of benefits.  proof of status is required when booking.

Accessibility inside the building

Our front room, lounge bar, theatre bar, loft and basement studio are completely accessible for visitors with disabilities. A lift to the first and second floor can be accessed via the Lounge Bar. The Basement Studio has its own ramped access at the back of the building.
With the need to evacuate using the goods lift and/or an evacuation chair in an emergency, we can accommodate up to 2 wheelchair patrons in the main auditorium/theatre bar, and 1 wheelchair patron in the loft; this is directly informed by our risk assessment and agreed evacuation procedure with the fire authorities that details our duty of care to both our patrons and staff.  We can be more flexible with numbers in the front room, lounge bar and basement studio due to the exit onto street level.
Any patron requiring an essential companion to attend the theatre to ensure their safe exit in an emergency evacuation needs to be incorporated into the fire risk assessment, therefore up to four spaces will be allocated (in addition to the wheelchair allocation) next to the wheelchair spaces both in the theatre and loft.

Lift access

A passenger lift is available from the main foyer level to the auditorium and The Loft; the maximum capacity is 8 persons.
Please note, the lift can only accommodate one wheelchair patron and carer at any one time.

Hard of hearing

There is an induction loop system in the main theatre; this is accessed by putting a hearing aid to the ‘T’ switch. The most effective areas for operation are, in the raised tier using seats 20-23 on rows F-T, and in the flat stalls using seats 22-25 on rows C-E. Alternatively, the next best areas are seats 1-5 (tier and stalls) on the other side of the theatre. Seats in the centre section should not be used.

Access to the building from the outside

There is a ramp at the Manchester Road entrance, and two lifts; one from ground floor level to the rear of the building, and one from main foyer to the auditorium and the The Loft. Please call the box office to arrange assistance prior to your visit.  There is a gradient from the car park to the theatre entrance on Yorke street; should you foresee needing assistance with this, please inform the box office.

A helping hand

Essential Companion Tickets
For selected performances there is a limited allocation of tickets available for essential companions accompanying wheelchair users and the registered blind. These are allocated on a first come first served basis and proof of eligibility will be required.

Eligibility requirements:
• We require wheelchair users to stay in their wheelchairs next to their able bodied companion throughout the event to ensure safe evacuation in an emergency.
• The able bodied companion will be requested to assist should an emergency evacuation arise, therefore must be over the age of 16.
Some events will be exempt such as events where the ticket price includes food and/or drink etc (i.e. theatre-dinners, private hires).
Burnley Mechanics has a volunteering scheme so may be able to provide an assistant for those wanting to attend a concert alone, advance booking is essential, and we cannot guarantee the availability of our volunteers.

Fire and Emergency

In the event of emergency, all essential carers are required to work with trained staff to facilitate a safe evacuation. Trained staff will inform and guide essential carers in terms of where to go.

Dementia Friendly
We want to make Burnley Mechanics accessible to as many people as possible; we have dementia friendly signage installed to support our customers visiting the Mechanics to get around the building. Our events can be very busy, bright, noisy or dark, so if a quiet space is needed, we will do our best to accommodate this and recommend shows that may be suitable to different customers’ needs.
There is always a Dementia friend on duty, please speak to a member of staff if support is required.

Pre-show visits

If you or any of your party has a condition that would benefit from a visit to Burnley Mechanics prior to a performance you are attending, we will do our best to accommodate such requests.

Burnley Mechanics Theatre

Manchester Rd
Burnley BB11 1BH
UK

Hospitality

Whatever your special occasion our Burnley Mechanics Theatre event professionals will ensure it is centre stage and in the spotlight. Prepare your guests for an unforgettable experience amid the grandeur of this magnificent grade two listed building.

View hospitality

 

Venue Hire

 

Spectacular, bespoke events to wow your guests

Whether you’re looking for help with the design and organisation of your corporate event, meeting or banquet or a total event production solution, our bespoke events experts and in-house technical professionals will ensure your event is a success.

We have a range of fantastic spaces in the building available for hire (see below). You can also call us to discuss your requirements on 01282 664400.

Click on the venues below to view each in more detail:

Touring Shows

The Auditorium is Burnley’s largest permanent performance space with a standing capacity of 700. Seated in a traditional style the theatre capacity is 495. The beauty of our Auditorium is that it can be transformed at the touch of a button from a traditional tiered theatre to an amazing blank canvass, all thanks to our electronic seating. We can cater for literally anything.

Marketing Support:

Our dedicated marketing and PR team will assist you with all aspects of promoting your show in the run up to the performance. We produce approximately 18,000 venue brochures twice per year, delivering them to our established customer database, high footfall public areas and businesses in the local area and ensure high visibility in the building. Our e-brochure is available to download on our website. You will also benefit from regular targeted e-shots to our electronic database or more than 8,000 previous bookers and slots in our regular print/radio advertising schedule with local media. We’ll support you with regular press releases and poster/leaflet distribution to ensure your event gets maximum exposure and send you weekly email updates to help you keep track of sales figures and revenue generated.

Dance and Theatre Schools

We’re incredibly proud to be partnered with dance schools, local theatre companies, craft groups and societies offering a range of professional and amateur performances throughout the season.

Click on a school below to visit their website:

Local Societies

We’re incredibly proud to be partnered with local groups and societies offering a range of professional and amateur performances throughout the season.

Click on the societies below to find out more:

Full technical support from our experienced team

Burnley Mechanics is a modern multi-purpose venue equipped with retractable/removable seating and excellent lighting and sound facilities (Auditorium). Our fully trained and experienced Technical Team are able to provide full technical support from small-scale meetings to major auditorium events.

View technical information

Burnley College Creative Arts and Media End of Year Show 2023

The exhibition features work from a range of Art and Design programmes at Burnley College. The artwork on display often reflects issues in contemporary society, highlighting a political, social or cultural theme, students also generate introspective, personal work. All students are encouraged to research and experiment; exploring materials, techniques and processes as a means to produce thought provoking and meaningful work. We are incredibly proud of our students and thank them for their dedication and hard work.

Students have enjoyed many enrichment opportunities including visits to The Whitworth and City Gallery in Manchester, Tate Liverpool, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Walker Gallery to name a few. They have engaged with artists and industry professionals including Casey Orr and the ‘Saturday Girl’ photography project and Matthew Mazzotta, an American artist and researcher who came in to discuss his collaboration with Super Slow Way.

Opportunities for networking and work experience continue to grow. This year our students were given the opportunity to attend Industry week, where they were able to meet with a range of professionals from the creative industries. The students were given insights into career pathways, learning what personal attributes and qualifications are needed to operate successfully in industry. We have established close links with Horse and Bamboo Performing Arts Theatre, The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery in Rossendale and Burnley Mechanics. We continue to develop a database of ‘Project Advisers’ enabling students, direct access to creative industry professionals.

It is professional relationships like these which help drive standards, evidence of which, you see around you.

Wishing all our 2023 leavers the very best, as they embark on their new adventures. Our returning students can look forward to exciting new projects next year, as they begin to prepare for their own, next steps.

Featured work is taken from BA(HONS) Art and Design Foundation, A Level Art Craft Design, A Level Graphic Communication, A Level Textiles, A Level Photography, Advanced Art and Design, including Fashion & Pre Advanced Art and Design.

For further information about any of our visual art programmes, including adult evening, please visit www.burnley.ac.uk/search Art and Design.

 

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