The Amp

The Amp (short for The Courtyard Amplified) is a brand-new 1,400-seat Big Top venue launching at The Courtyard in Summer 2026. It will allow us to host bigger, nationally recognised touring acts across music, comedy, theatre and family entertainment.

The Amp will be based right here at The Courtyard, in the main venue car park, on Edgar Street, Hereford, HR4 9JR

During the summer, The Amp will be located in The Courtyard’s car park, which means our on-site parking won’t be available for this temporary period.

However, there are several convenient city centre car parks just a short walk away. The closest options being Merton Meadow Car Park and The Old Market Car Park. Both offer plenty of spaces and direct walking routes to The Courtyard.

We understand that this is a change from the usual experience and that some customers may be concerned. It may help to know that many theatres and venues of a similar size don’t have on-site parking at all. For example, Malvern Theatres seats a similar capacity to The Amp all together, and relies entirely on nearby public car parks in a smaller town.

If you have specific access needs or mobility concerns, please contact our Box Office team so we can support you in planning your visit.

To bring bigger, higher-profile artists to Herefordshire; to grow cultural opportunities in the region; and to offer audiences a large-scale summer programme without needing to travel to cities like Birmingham or Cardiff. It’s also part of our plan to be more ambitious and grow sustainably.

Tickets will be available through The Courtyard website and Box Office just like any other show.

Yes. The first announcement is just the beginning, more shows will be revealed in the coming months.

Yes. Existing Courtyard Members will receive priority booking before the general on-sale period. As always, they will receive email notification of this – so please ensure you have signed up to receive email marketing.

The same as Courtyard events, once sold, tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded except as outlined in our Terms & Conditions.

You may ask the Box Office to resell tickets for a performance but we cannot guarantee a resale and we will always sell remaining tickets before returned tickets. In the case of a successful re-sale the customer’s Courtyard account will be credited to the value of the tickets resold. Credit is valid for 24months and will expire automatically.

TicketPlan Refund Protection is available for purchase at the time of booking, follow the link for more details.

Yes. The Amp will offer step-free access to section G, wheelchair spaces, companion seats (both available at lowest concessionary rate), and accessible toilets. Our team can assist with any specific requirements, please email [email protected].

We understand how important it is for some audience members to have a companion with them when attending a performance. For our usual programme at The Courtyard, we’re often able to offer free companion tickets to ensure everyone can enjoy events.

For The Amp’s summer season, the scale and cost of bringing these major artists to Herefordshire is significantly higher than our usual programme. Because of this, and to keep ticket prices as accessible as possible for everyone, we’re unfortunately not able to offer free companion tickets for these particular events.

However, we remain committed to making our events as inclusive as we can and have put our wheelchair accessible and companion seats at the lowest price band.

If you have specific access needs, please get in touch with our Box Office team or email [email protected].

Yes. The Amp is a fully covered, all-weather Big Top structure.

Most events will be fully seated, though some concerts may include standing areas depending on the act. Each event listing will clearly indicate the layout.

Yes. We have an experienced project team who plan and execute wind load management and extreme weather procedures.

The Amp is well connected and easy to reach using public transport, with several convenient options nearby:

By Bus
Most city-centre bus routes stop within a short walk of The Courtyard. Key stops on Commercial Road, Blueschool Street, and Edgar Street offer frequent services from across Herefordshire and surrounding areas.

By Train
Hereford Railway Station is approximately a 10 minute walk from The Courtyard, with regular services from Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, London and stations along the Marches line.

Beryl Bikes
Hereford’s Beryl Bike scheme provides an easy, eco-friendly way to travel. There are multiple bays close to The Courtyard and around the city, making it simple to pick up or drop off a bike on your way to and from the venue.

Taxis & Drop-Off
There is a taxi rank outside the railway station, and local taxi companies operate across the city. A safe drop-off and pick-up point will also be available near the venue entrance.

Yes. The main building will remain open as usual throughout, with cinema screenings, workshops and gallery exhibitions running as usual – but we will not be running events in our Main House.

Please note that access to the main building will be via the front entrance only during this period.

On evenings when an event is taking place in The Amp, we will have additional capacity measures in place. This means that only customers with tickets for Courtyard activities (cinema etc.) or The Amp will be permitted onsite.

The Box Office and Shop will remain outside the perimeter fence and will be fully accessible during normal opening hours to all visitors.

Security measures will be in place with bag checks on arrival. Only one small bag per person is permitted and it must not be bigger than A4 size. Large bags, including rucksacks, are not allowed and ticket holders will be refused entry.

There are no facilities to leave luggage or large bags.

We are working closely with neighbours to minimise disruption. Show times, traffic management and operational planning will reflect this. There will be no pedestrian access through the car park during the residency. We will also offer neighbour priority booking and discount as a thank-you, this is done via postcode.  

The Amp is designed to contain sound within the Big Top as much as possible, but given the size and scale of the events, some noise will be audible in neighbouring areas.

All performances will finish at responsible times in line with licensing regulations, and we will continue to monitor sound levels to minimise any disruption.

The Amp will operate as a summer season venue, installed and removed within a set timeframe each year. In 2026 that will be from 27 July – 3 September.