Coca-Cola Amphitheatre — (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

Birmingham’s Coca-Cola Amphitheater has joined 24 venues across the U.S. that have committed to being “sensory inclusive,” giving fans with sensory processing needs, autism, PTSD or neurological conditions the support they need to enjoy their concert experiences.

Vestavia Hills-based KultureCity, the leading nonprofit dedicated to sensory accessibility and acceptance, awarded this designation to 25 Live Nation venues in a recent partnership to create a more inclusive fan experience.

“This is the largest partnership of its kind in live entertainment, which means that fans with sensory processing needs have access to more live music than ever before. By partnering with Live Nation, we are scaling our impact and redefining what it means to create inclusive spaces.”
Uma Srivastava, Executive Director at KultureCity

In addition to the other Live Nation venues, the Coca-Cola Amphitheater will have crew members who have received sensory training to recognize and support the needs of neurodiverse fans, reusable sensory bags filled with items to reduce sensory overload and clear signage for quiet zones and other helpful guidance. These resources are available now at no cost to fans.

Kulture City — The KultureCity sensory bag includes: noise-cancelling headphones, lanyard cards and fidget toys. (Lauren Bedford / Bham Now)

To learn more about accessibility at the Coca-Cola Amphitheater, tap here.

Live Nation plans to certify nine more outdoor venues as “sensory inclusive” this fall.

“We’re committed to making sure fans feel welcome at our venues and we’re extremely proud of this certification. Thanks to our partnership with KultureCity, our venues are taking a new approach to hospitality and improving fan experience.”
Karl Adams, Head of Venue Operations for Live Nation

KultureCity recently acquired the historic Powell Steam Plant for $11 million and plans to repurpose the former power plant into “the world’s first center that will provide inspiration, information and innovation for both the disability community and the community at large.”

One in six people have sensory needs, for a variety of reasons including autism, down syndrome, ADHD, cystic fibrosis, veterans with PTSD and people with dementia. KultureCity aims to create safe spaces for people to decompress from overwhelming sounds and crowds.

The nonprofit has made their impact in over 900 spaces in five countries. Check out some of their other work in the Magic City and around our state:

Which spots in Birmingham would you like to see in a partnership with KultureCity? Let us know by tagging @bhamnow!