Barbican Centre Reviews 44

Very bad refund policy, we lost our money, if you cant make it you cant even get credit in order to see something else. Just greedy thats it

I had booked an architecture tour for my birthday. We travelled from Worthing on the train which cost £100 in train tickets. I got an email an hour before saying the tour was cancelled! Massive waste of a day!

BEWARE!!! If you choose to attend a production here, the staff are monsters. If you end up in a hospital and can’t attend the show, there is no refund or understanding on their part. Despite me showing proof of being in the hospital with receipts and time stamps, there is was no reprieve, no refunds not even an offer to attend on a different day. They were rude and curt. Really a shame to treat theatre patrons this way.

I was trying to surprise my partner for his birthday and take him to the Feel the Sound Exhibition on the 25th of August @3pm. We had one day off, after 3 weeks of working non stop, so much to our surprise we got to the Silk street entrance only to find the place was shut and would reopen the next day. As a person working in ticketing/ box offices/ festivals, I know for sure that the box office rotas and opening times had been previously agreed, so my question is: why was I able to purchase tickets for this date - August 25th- and why did I not get any email that the place will be shut. I demand a refund ASAP and I hope that anyone trying to make a nice surprise for a loved one, doesn’t go to this venue, as they are unreliable and don’t live up to the name/ art they are meant to display. Such a waste of time when we could’ve enjoyed the last day of summer by the sea somewhere!

I’m writing these few lines to express my utter disappointment with the "Feel the Sound" exhibition at the Barbican, which I attended last weekend with my wife and son. This is, without a doubt, the worst show I’ve encountered in years, and it seriously undermines the Barbican's reputation as a supposed beacon of culture. Half of the exhibits were either malfunctioning or glitching, the curation was shockingly poor, and most of the interactive content looked like electronics kits aimed at seven-year-olds at best.

Why on earth would you include a narrator's voice in an exhibit meant for listening to a range of frequencies and observing their effects on the body and mood? What’s the point of dedicating an entire room to the yodelling of a trans choir, other than to tick a box for social inclusivity? Who in their right mind would waste time scanning a random QR code to access their "own personal frequency" after attending the show? An exhibition about how sound can affect perception is a fascinating topic, yet the curation team chooses to focus on such trivial experiences, like passively watching "tuned" cars blasting horrid dance music from the 90s in the Barbican car park 5? Where’s the science behind this entire exhibition?

This was undoubtedly the worst show I’ve seen in ages. I sincerely hope the Barbican's curation team gets its act together and stops insulting the public's intelligence.

Totally agree with a previous reviewer that the signage in the Barbican Centre is appalling. There is no indication of how to find the circle. I was eventually directed to enter the door that is labelled balcony and upper circle. The ushers were oblivious to this fact and to the layout of the theatre. The toilet locations are incorrectly signposted and incredibly small. Everyone on my row A in the circle complained that they couldn’t find the seat numbers which were eventually discovered on the inside of the arm rests and only visible by using the torch on my phone. No help from the ineffectual usher who directed 2 audience members to the wrong tier.
Thankfully Good Night Oscar was absolutely amazing, the theatrical highlight of the year.

Thr Barbican is sublime at every level. It's a micro community all of its own. I love the poor signage, it puts all but the most partisan and committed from attending. I would live there in a heartbeat surrounded by excellent facilities..

It was the getting there from the station, it said it was an 8 minute walk from Farringdon station, half an hour later we finally found it. Very bad signage which had us going back and forth finally found someone who knew the area and he pointed us in right direction. Then even more confusing trying to find the right entrance for the theatre. Thank God the show was brilliant, Good Night Oscar, Sean Hayes was brilliant. Then trying to find food first someone who is gluten free, there wasn't any, then it was another journey trying to get out of the place.

It was my second visit to Barbican centre. I forgot my phone( and bankcard) to a toilet. Discovered it half an hour later. Everybody I asked was so nice and helpful. Eventually I got it back from the shop counter😀Thank you so much! Unfortunately I didn’t ask the name of the lady there😥

This is just for the incredibly bad signage.
Even when you find your theatre row of seats the numbers are almost invisible when you are standing in the gloom.
Finding the theatre entrance in the first place was tricky. If your are in the circle you have to know if you are left or right, that information was not displayed on our tickets.
I hope the show is good!

Went to see Fiddler on the Roof which was wonderful but the Barbican experience was anything but! Difficult to find the centre - no signage. Then trying to get food -plenty of vegan food , no gluten free options and then when we got our coffee , nowhere to sit! Had to sit on the stairs and as both 80 and 76 - not great. And as for the toilets.......! When we found a gents for my husband it said " For under 18s only" - WHY?!!!!!

*update - since writing this review I am pleased to say that the Barbican have been willing to compromise with me in refunding my membership so these frustrated comments have been somewhat alleviated.
Considering the Barbican is meant to be a revered National institution for the arts, our recent experience of them has been very poor. I'll spare you all the details but in a nutshell we accidentally booked the wrong exhibition which we only realised as we walked through it - but the Barbican then refused to replace the tickets for the right one. Their advertising and signage is very confusing. The standard of the exhibition we accidentally went into was very poor for such high pricing. They've refused to refund my membership.. Overall I was shocked at the level of customer comms and care and I would highly recommend anyone to avoid going to their overpriced, overhyped artsy nonsense.

Really disappointed - long queues for non gender specific toilets - even men saying cubicles for ALL!! taking too long! THIS MEANT women queuing for the disability toilet saying they were only in that queue as the regular toilet queue was TOO LONG ? Not enough staff in to manage drinks queue either. A few women I noticed with their feet on the seats ! No staff supporting the public to find lifts/ toilets Sineage very poor- I won’t be back! The theatre space holds large numbers! The ticket prices are expensive but the toileting / catering facility is totally inadequate for the numbers attending shows ! Many reviews saying the same thing for last 4 years obviously no one heeding complaints ? Such a shame could be a really good experience??

Chaotic building. Terrible signposting. Toilets and lifts difficult to find. Brasserie closed but no signage to indicate. Minimal seating area near cafe on ground floor. Found man on one basement level who seemed to be ‘living’ there, judging by bags of food, toilet rolls and sleeping equipment. Perhaps he got lost years ago and decided to stay!

I can see why the brutalist architecture of the sixties fell from its grace. There is no atmosphere. Still to this day it's a very ahead of it's time and futuristic. You feel as though you are a part of a sci fi movie. If I were to work there full time you I would end up clinically depressed. I won't give it a second visit. I can see why the sixties tower blocks got knocked down. No warmth or atmosphere. Other theatres in London I visit time and time again. But this one I won't .

Held my money during lockdown,told me it was still there and ask what I wished to do. THEN REFUSED TO RETURN IT TO ME. The service then was utterly unacceptable and cold. The ignorance vicious and rude.

This country is dire for service.

Had a great time at the Barbican as ever, we went to the Brasserie for the first time time, really lovely with a delightful view, even in the dark. The service, food and staff were impeccable.

Tips - try to go before the pre theatre time - less busy, unless you have a deal of course.

Brasserie - resist the scallops - the additional charge is excessive delicious but you only get 2!

The barbican has added many elements over the years but they need more loos and more seating - I got back into my performance with 1 minute to spare and would not have been let back in had I not got there.

Seating - there is loads of space, so many people sitting on the floor pre show and they were not in areas that were, as far as I could see, a trip hazard or in the way, more seating. We walked all around and I have a bad hip and ended up sitting on the steps near the cinema. Not good or easy to get up from.

Excellent concert of Beethoven's 9th under Christopher Warren Green.
Unfortunately let down by the poor toilet facilities, my wife needed to use the toilet on our way out, had go down three flights stairs, very difficult for her. Then a long wait to actually use the facilities. Not helped by
ignorant people pushing passed her going up & down.
Poor lighting to & from the car park, exiting the car park was a nightmare, even though we had pre payed ticket. Long queue as a result. It seems these problems are not new, need to sort yourselves out. I shall be writing to the City of London about this.

The Barbican is my favourite cultural art centre. Great cinema programming, curation and events. Affordable tickets for people with disability or less fortunate, so that all can enjoy the exhibitions and the films. The venue is inspiring and exciting to explore, while comfortable ans safe for neurodiverse visitors. The conservatory is fabulous. And as a cultural institution, the Barbican is inclusive for all and shaping the future of art and culture while revisiting the past in an informed and respectful way. The staff supporting customer is very friendly and helpful. They are a big part of what makes the Barbican a great place to enjoy for all.

I recently visited the Barbican Centre, and I was extremely disappointed with the new bathroom setup. Jumping on the bandwagon, the Barbican has decided to replace the ordinary male and female toilets with gender-neutral cubicles and urinals. This change appears to be more about virtue signalling rather than practical customer service.

For the vast majority of patrons, this change is incredibly inconvenient. Instead of having clear, separate facilities, we now have to navigate through a confusing and uncomfortable setup that seems to cater to a tiny minority at the expense of the 99.9% of the population.

The cubicles lack the privacy and efficiency of traditional restrooms, and the urinals are awkward and impractical. No woman wants to walk between 2 walls of peeing men and the guys can normally be out in a minute if they have urinals. Now, both men (even those who just need to pee) and women are using the cubicles and the result is women are waiting even longer than they used to. This is a prime example of how trying to appease a small group can lead to dissatisfaction for the majority.

It's disappointing to see common sense being overridden by political correctness. I hope the management reconsiders this decision and brings back the standard restroom facilities that worked perfectly fine for everyone.