The Roundhouse is card only at the box office and at every bar, but the cloakroom, the merchandise desk and the Creative Studios still take cash. That split catches people out, because most London venues have gone one way or the other. If you are carrying notes, they will buy you a cloakroom ticket and a t-shirt, and nothing to drink.
The cloakroom costs £4 an item, and the venue warns that on busy winter nights you will queue to drop off and queue again to collect. Its own advice is to bring as little as possible, especially large bags.
Everything below comes from the Roundhouse’s own visitor pages, read on 10 October 2026.
What is inside
Four performance spaces sit in the main building in Chalk Farm. The Main Space is the big one, split over two floors. The Studio Theatre is intimate, holding up to 180. The Dorfman Hub is mainly for the youth programme but opens to the public occasionally, and the ground floor café runs pop-ups like open mic nights, wine tastings and exhibitions.
The Creative Studios are open seven days a week. Everything else opens only when there is an event on, and the box office handles enquiries from two hours before the advertised doors time. During the day, the security team in the main foyer is who you ask.
Security and what you cannot bring
Expect bag searches and a wand search of you personally. The Roundhouse is unusually candid about this, acknowledging that the process can be daunting and asking you to raise concerns with staff on arrival so they can help.
Flags and banners are banned outright because they block other people’s view. The full prohibited list sits in the admissions terms and is not exhaustive: management can refuse anything else it considers a risk.
Cameras: the line is the equipment, not the act
For music events, phones, small compact cameras and polaroid-style cameras are usually fine. Larger digital cameras, SLRs, camcorders, go-pros and anything with a detachable lens will not get in. The duty manager has the final say.
Artists can impose a no photography rule across the whole venue, which is then advertised on the doors and enforced by security, and becomes a condition of entry, so ignoring it can get you removed. Theatre style events are generally no photography. The event page’s Essential Info section is where the rule for your night is published.
Access
There is step-free access to every floor, bar and toilet, including inside the Level 1 standing area, with a passenger lift serving each level next to the accessible toilets. The exception is the Level 2 seated circle, where the venue says you may meet steps and asks you to contact the access bookings team first.
Carer tickets are free for personal assistants and support workers, and the Roundhouse asks for no documentation at all, which is rarer than it should be. Wheelchair spaces on Level 2 come with a free carer seat as standard and can be booked online through the seated map view. For a standing or seated ticket with a carer, tick the access requirements box while adding tickets to your basket.
Accessible tickets are available for every performance. Captioned, signed and audio described performances are listed on each show page, and if a show has none scheduled you can ask, because the venue says it may be able to arrange one. A BSL interpreter can be requested subject to availability, with at least four weeks’ notice. If queuing is difficult, or you need a quiet space during a visit, the venue asks you to say so and will sort something out.
Roundhouse
- Address
- Chalk Farm Road, London NW1
- Nearest
- Chalk Farm
- Hours
- Creative Studios open 7 days a week. Performance spaces open only for events. The box office takes enquiries from 2 hours before the advertised doors time
- Booking
- Through the Roundhouse. Tick the access requirements box when adding tickets to the basket, or book a wheelchair space with its free carer seat using the seated map view
- Price
- By event. Cloakroom 4 pounds per item. Carer tickets are free and no documentation is required
- Standing
- A Grade II star listed former railway engine shed in Camden with four performance spaces, including the two floor Main Space and the 180 capacity Studio Theatre
How to get in
The box office and all bars are card only, while the cloakroom, merchandise desk and Creative Studios take cash. Bag and wand searches on entry. Flags and banners are banned. SLR cameras, camcorders, go-pros and detachable lenses are refused, and an artist can impose a venue-wide no photography rule as a condition of entry
Where to go next
Camden Market is a few minutes away, and Camden restaurants cover where to eat nearby.
Brixton Academy and the London Palladium publish comparable venue rules.
Questions we get asked
Is the Roundhouse cashless?
Partly. The box office and all the bars are card only, but you can pay with cash or card at the cloakroom, the merchandise desk and the Paul Hamlyn Creative Studios.
How much is the cloakroom at the Roundhouse?
£4 per item. On busy winter shows expect to queue both to drop off and to collect, so the venue advises bringing as little as possible.
Can you take a camera into the Roundhouse?
For music events, phones, small compact cameras and polaroid-style cameras are usually allowed. SLRs, larger digital cameras, camcorders, go-pros and detachable lenses are not. Some artists impose a venue-wide no photography rule, which is advertised on the doors and is a condition of entry.
Is the Roundhouse wheelchair accessible?
Yes. There is step-free access to all floors, bars and toilets, including the Level 1 standing area, with a passenger lift by the accessible toilets. The Level 2 seated circle may involve steps, so contact the access bookings team about it.
Do you get a free carer ticket at the Roundhouse?
Yes. Complimentary tickets are offered for personal assistants and support workers, and no documentation is requested. Wheelchair spaces on Level 2 include a free carer seat as standard.
Are bags searched at the Roundhouse?
Yes. Security carries out bag searches and wand searches of individuals on arrival. Flags and banners are not permitted because they obstruct other people's view.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 427 in the guide.
Last checked 10 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
