Village Underground
is a space for creativity
& culture in the heart
of East London

FAQ's

• Age & ID

  • - Is there an age restriction at Village Underground?
    

    For Live music events, under 18s must be accompanied by an adult (unless otherwise agreed with promoter for special underage events) and right of admission will be reserved. No children under 16 are allowed in the venue. Any Club night is strictly over 18 and right of admission will be reserved.
    Please always refer to our listings for specific restrictions.

  • - Do I need to provide ID at the door?

    Every customer may be requested to provide valid ID. For this reason, we advise that all customers bring valid ID. Occasionally there is conflicting information on other artist, promoter or ticketing websites, the information on our website's listings is our venue’s policy.

  • - What are the valid forms of ID?
    

    Acceptable forms of ID are a valid passport, photo driving licence or National Identity Card.
    Driving licences without a photo or student cards are not accepted.
    

  • - Who is a responsible adult?

    In English Law, an appropriate adult is a parent, guardian or social worker; or if no person matching this is available, any responsible person over 18.
    
    
    

• Ticketing

  • - Can I buy tickets over the phone or on the door?

    Although we sometimes sell tickets on the door (specified in the listings), we don’t have a full time Box Office, we are unable sell tickets over the phone and all of our tickets are sold online. Online ticket sales usually close at 5pm on the day of the event. If the listings page doesn't say the show is sold out then tickets will be on sale on the door. Collecting your tickets at the box office can only be done on the night and only once the doors have opened.

  • - Can I buy a ticket at the venue on the day of the event?

    It is possible to buy a ticket on the day of the event after the doors open and if the show hasn't sold out.

  • - How likely am I to get tickets when a gig has sold out?

    We are a small independent venue and our most popular events can sell out fast.
    We appreciate that this may be disappointing and we recommend trying ethical reseller websites such as Twickets If the page says "Contact venue for tickets" it is a standard message that appears when the ticket agency runs out of tickets to sell and it usually means the show has sold out.
    

  • - How does ticketing work at Village Underground?

    Shows at Village Underground are usually booked by external promoters (e.g. Eat Your Own Ears, Metropolis, SJM, Live Nation, Bird on the Wire etc). Most of the time, VU will sell an allocation of tickets for a show booked by an external promoter. VU's ticket allocation is sold through Seetickets and Resident Advisor. The rest of the tickets are sold by the promoter, through various ticket agencies e.g. Ticketweb, Gigantic, WeGotTickets, Ticketmaster.
    
    Should you have any question about your order, or you haven’t received a confirmation email or your physical tickets please contact the ticket agency you bought the tickets from before contacting Village Underground.
    
    Seetickets
    Resident Advisor
    Gigantic
    Ticketmaster
    Ticketweb
    Songkick
    WeGotTickets

  • - What do I do if I haven't received my tickets or have left them at home?
    

    If you have lost/not received/left your tickets at home, please contact the ticket agency you bought them from as soon as you can. If you contact the ticket agency on time, they will be able to add your name to a duplicates list. This is an indispensable step for you to gain entry to an event if you are not in possession of your tickets.
    

  • - Can I give my friend my tickets if I can’t make it?

    If you would like to pass on your tickets to someone else to collect from the Box Office you will need to provide a letter of authorisation to the Box Office from yourself, and the ticket collector will need to provide a valid form of ID (passport/drivers licence).
    

  • - If I can't make it to the event, can I return the tickets or get a refund?
    

    We regret that we cannot exchange, refund, transfer or return tickets unless the event in question is cancelled or details of the event are significantly changed (for example venue, date etc).
    

  • - The event got cancelled, can I get a refund?
    

    As soon as an event is officially cancelled the ticket agency will contact you via the contact details you gave them when you booked your tickets, and explain what happens next. Usually, if a show is being rescheduled, you will be given a choice between attending the rescheduled event or getting your money back. If you have the tickets in hand, you may be asked to return them to us before we can issue a refund.
    

  • - Can you give me the contact of the promoter or someone at the label?

    Unfortunately, we cannot give out that information.
    

  • - Does Village Underground issue press passes?

    We do not issue press passes or photo passes. All press enquires should be directed to the promoter or band’s publicist, label or management.

  • - What are the usual set times?
    

    Set times are not typically available until day of show. Door and finish times will always be advertised on the event's page.
    Please note that our team always does its best to keep all shows running on time, but every so often a show runs late.

• Transport and local area

  • - Where is Village Underground?
    

    Village Underground's address is 54 Holywell Lane, just between Great Eastern Street and Shoreditch High Street and opposite Citizen M hotel.

  • - What about public transport?

    Major bus routes: 8, N8, 26, N26, 48, 78, 149 (24h), 242 (24h), 388, 35, N35, 47, 135 and 67
    We're near Shoreditch High Street Station (0.2 mile/300 metres), Old Street Station (0.4 mile/650 metres) and Liverpool Street Station (0.5 mile/800 metres).

  • - Where can I park?

    There is one daytime car park near Village Underground. It is located just next to 55 Holywell Lane.
    More information about full time car parks can be found here.

  • - Where should I go for dinner before the gig?

    Try Korean at On the Bab, Som Sa for Thai, Gunpowder (if you can get a table) or Dishoom (if they aren’t packed out) for Indian. There's an array of Vietnamese cafes along Kingsland Road but Viet Grill is our favourite with its sister restaurant Keu! in Shoreditch for Banh Mi. Feeling Steak-y? There's the Hawksmoor on Commercial St and over the road, for ''Snout to Tail'' eating, there's Fergus Hendersons' St John’s Bread & Wine. At Taberna do Mercado chef Nuno Medes serves up as good as your best meal in Portugal.  For cheap and quick, walk into Damascu Bite on Brick Lane for good schwarma. For burgers we swear by Patty & Bun but some prefer Bukowski or Dirty Burger. Homeslice reigns for quality pizza - go for the goat and savoy cabbage! You've got many choices for Barbecue but with the recent arrival of Smokestak is where we'll be.

• Accessibility

  • - What do I do if I have accessibility requirements?
    

    Please click here for more information.
    

• Harassment & discrimination

  • - What do I do if I am the victim of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination in the venue?

    VU is a club for people to enjoy music without fear of harassment or discrimination. We welcome diversity in our audience and work to create a safe space for everyone present; in return we ask that you respect these values and each other. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable in any way, please let one of the members of staff know and we will try and resolve the issue as soon as possible. We also encourage our crowd to look out for one another and to report unacceptable behaviour if it occurs.
    
    We classify the below behaviours as unacceptable and any reports of these will result in you being ejected from Village Underground:
    
    Unwanted physical contact (including groping and grabbing)
    
    Catcalling
    
    Leering
    
    Stalking
    
    Sexual assault and rape
    
    Upskirting
    
    Verbal or physical intimidation (including sexism, racism, homophobia and transphobia)
    
    
    We work with organisations such as Drinkaware, grassroots campaign organisation Good Night Out and local authorities to end sexual harassment and assault in venues.
    
    
    If you experience any of the above, or see it happening, please report it to the nearest member of staff. We will have staff who will be able to assist you. You can also report by calling 020 7422 7505 or emailing info@villageunderground.co.uk.

• Door policy & dress code

  • - Do you have a door policy?
    

    Village Underground has a comprehensive Equality and Diversity Policy in order to make sure that we comply with our obligations under the Equality Act 2010, and which sets out our commitment to encouraging diversity and to responding to complaints and grievances appropriately. The full Equality and Diversity Policy can be found here.

  • - Do you have a dress code?
    

    We reserve the right to refuse admission on grounds of dress, for anyone dressed in business attire or fancy dress (unless it is a themed event).

  • - Will I get searched on the door?

    Yes, there will be a bag and personal items check on the door and any illegal substances, liquids ​(including suncream and water) ​or dangerous items ​(including aerosols) ​will be confiscated.​
    
    Non-dangerous and legal substances can be written on and returned at the end of the night. Please note unless it’s medication we will dispose of​ any unclaimed material the following day.

  • - What is your stance on drugs?
    

    We have a zero tolerance policy on drugs. If drugs are found in your possession when entering the club they will be confiscated and passed onto the police. If you are found inside the venue taking drugs, they will be confiscated and you will be asked to leave the premises. If you are found selling or giving out drugs then the police will be called immediately.
    
    
    We advise that you don't leave your drinks unattended and that if you see anyone who looks like they are in need of medical help, that you contact a member of the VU team immediately who are trained to provide assistance without judgement.
    
    
    We encourage everyone to be educated on drugs and recommend We Are The Loop and Talk To Frank as good sources of information.

• Cloakroom & lost property

  • - Does Village Underground have a cloakroom?
    

    Yes, coats and bags can be checked into the cloakroom, the price is £2 per item.
    

  • - I left my jacket/phone/camera in your venue, what should I do?
    

    Email lostproperty@villageunderground.co.uk and provide a detailed description of the lost item (including any unique characteristic). You should hear from us within the following two days. Please note that found items are retained for fourteen days only, after which time they are given to charity. Please note that lost items cannot be collected at the weekend.
    

  • - Can I bring my camera?
    

    Photo policy varies for different artists and is usually not determined until day of show. You can bring a nonprofessional camera to most shows, and you can enquire about the photo policy at the door.

  • - Can I bring my own liquids?

    Please do not bring any liquids, including vape liquids, into the venue as these will be confiscated.
    
    Non-dangerous and legal substances can be written on and returned at the end of the night. Please note unless it’s medication we will dispose of​ any unclaimed material the following day.
    

• Payment facilities & re-entry

  • - What are my payment options in the venue?
    

    We accept American Express, MasterCard and Visa. We do not have ATMs on-site. If tickets do not sell out in advance, they will be sold at the door on the night of the show (cash only).
    
    

  • - Is there re-entry?
    

    No, sorry. All exits are final (excluding the smoking area) so make sure you bring enough cash for the whole night.