Accessibility

The Kölner Philharmonie is easily accessible by car for dropping off or picking up passengers.

Our foyer staff will be waiting for you at the main entrance on the ground floor to help you with the doors. The Kölner Philharmonie has an adjacent car park with a total of nine disabled parking spaces.

Wheelchair users visiting our venue by car can use the Philharmonie car park free of charge. The Kölner Philharmonie can also be reached from the public transport hubs at Cologne Central Station and Heumarkt without having to negotiate any steps.

For wheelchair users, there are twelve standing places in seating blocks R and S in the auditorium. Accompanying persons sit directly next to guests in wheelchairs. These seats can be reached via a lift at the cloakroom for blocks C, F, X and Y on the left-hand side of the foyer.

In block Z at the back of the stage, there are two additional spaces for wheelchair users, each with one accompanying person. These spaces can be reached via a lift at cloakrooms Q, P, N on the right-hand side of the foyer. A mobile lifting platform is available for block Z, which our staff will be happy to help you operate.

All seats offer an unrestricted view and excellent acoustics.

Ticket orders for wheelchair users

Seats for wheelchair users and their companions are generally available in blocks R & S and, if available, in block Z for KölnMusik events.

The companion is admitted free of charge but requires their own ticket.

Tickets for wheelchair users are available by telephone on 0221 / 280 280 or at the concert box office of the Kölner Philharmonie:

Kölner Philharmonie concert box office
Kurt-Hackenberg-Platz/corner of Bechergasse
50667 Cologne
(opposite the Kölner Philharmonie and accessible from there without steps)

For people with mild walking difficulties, we recommend the last row of the intermediate blocks K and P. These seats are accessible via a lift with no steps. This also applies to the seats in the last row of block Z (choir loft).

Walkers must be left at the cloakrooms. If you need assistance, our foyer team will be happy to help.

Blind or severely visually impaired people can easily visit the Kölner Philharmonie alone or with an accompanying person.

The Kölner Philharmonie is located in the immediate vicinity of Cologne Central Station, making it easily accessible by public transport. There is a large main entrance, behind which is the vestibule. The ticket collectors are at the second door, and behind it is a large foyer. In the foyer, it is best to turn immediately to the left, as this is where the information desk is located, with the cloakroom further back in the room. If you are visiting the Philharmonie without a sighted companion, the staff at the information desk will help you find your seat.

The most convenient access from the foyer to the hall is via a wide staircase that leads straight up from the main entrance at the end of the foyer to the gallery of the hall. There are also additional cloakrooms and a staircase to the hall on the right-hand side of the foyer. You can leave your coat at the cloakroom free of charge and receive a square token with a number in return. After the concert, you can exchange the token for your coat.

The architecture of the concert hall is reminiscent of an ancient amphitheatre: the round podium is located roughly in the centre of the room. On one side of the round podium, the rows of seats rise steeply upwards. At the rear of the podium, the choir loft (Block Z) and the balconies are arranged in a semicircle on two floors above each other. A large concert organ is installed to the left of the podium.

The seats are divided into blocks, which are labelled alphabetically. Blocks A, B, E, D and the choir loft Z are closest to the podium. Blocks C and F are aligned with the centre of the podium but are slightly further away. Blocks G, H, L, Q, N and M are arranged behind them in a semicircle. Blocks I, K, R, P, O and S are located on the upper gallery. The balconies are blocks X and Y.

The acoustics are excellent throughout. Blocks C, F, L or Q are recommended as they are very easy to reach, with a straight, wide staircase leading there from the foyer. If you would like to buy refreshments during the interval, the main foyer and the Rheingarten foyer are easy to find from these blocks. You have to leave your seat, go back up the stairs to the gallery and then turn right towards the Rheingarten foyer or left towards the main foyer.

You can also visit the Philharmonie with an assistance dog. However, seating options are limited. Please contact karten@koelnmusik.de when purchasing tickets to reserve a suitable seat with enough space for your four-legged friend. On the day of the concert, our foyer team will be happy to assist you. After entering the venue, please go to the information desk on the left in the foyer.

As a person with a severe disability, you receive a 25% discount on almost all concerts.

The accompanying person of a severely disabled person (mark »B«) receives a 50% discount. The accompanying person of a wheelchair user receives free admission. Please note: Only one price reduction can be claimed at a time. Proof of eligibility for the reduction must be presented at the entrance without being asked.

Different reductions and regulations may apply to partner events.

Current notice: Due to water damage please use the wheelchair-accessible toilet in the lower foyer on the right (stairs D E F / ladies' toilets). 

For any questions please ask our foyer team.

The ladies' and gents' toilets in the basement of the foyer also have special toilets with raised seats and grab rails.