Abstract

In contemporary society, there has been a growing recognition of the critical importance of accessibility
and inclusion in events, with increasing interest and research in this area. Events serve as powerful
platforms for cultural exchange, knowledge dissemination and community building, yet their efficacy
hinges on the ability of organisers to ensure equitable access and inclusion for all participants. This may
be challenging due to a variety of external and internal factors for example practical resource limitations
such as funding, staffing and physical barriers but also surrounding the knowledge base, experience and
educational background/ability of the event professionals managing the event.
In modern society, football/sports stadiums have been frequently chosen to host live music events due
to their size, capacity and capability to `accommodate internationally renowned music artists. However,
they are most often not purpose-built to accommodate events beyond sport. In comparison to
fortnightly sporting events, music events are typically held on an annual basis with vastly different
physical requirements depending on the artist/show, the audience they attract and the specific access
and inclusive requirements for the event, event staff and attendees. This makes the operational
management and understanding of access and inclusion to be challenging. Furthermore, the
complexities surrounding the unique experiences of attendees poses additional considerations that are
difficult to grasp, not least the seeking of understanding what is or isn’t accessible or inclusive to minority
groups.
Via a qualitative triangulation of interviews, focus groups and informal conversations, our research
centres around the ways in which football/sport stadia have incorporated social inclusion and
accessibility into the planning and delivery of live music events. This paper / presentation seeks to
explore the multifaceted dimensions of accessibility and inclusion at music events held in sports venues,
specifically in relation to event education. We explicate how we collected data in an everchanging
environment, and how, as event educators, we highlighted the significance of the findings to the football
clubs/stadiums management to help foster sustainable engagement and societal progress through
event education.