If you are attending the festival on your own, are unsure where to go, or feel overwhelmed at any point, you can ask for support through our buddy system.

Festival Buddies will be available to:

• help you find your way around the venue

• accompany you to sessions or exhibition areas

• support you if you need a break

• answer questions in a calm and supportive way

How do I identify a Buddy?
The Buddy service station is located at the S2 entrance.

Do I need to request this in advance?
No. You do not need to notify us beforehand. You can approach a member of event staff at any time during the event.

There is a staffed cloakroom on the lower level of Excel near the N4 and S4 entrances. This cloakroom is provided at no charge to visitors however, please note that items are left at your own risk. There is very limited space for luggage, so it is strongly recommended that luggage is left at hotels prior to your arrival at the venue and collected after your departure.

Green lanyards will be available to help visitors communicate their preferences in a simple and comfortable way.

Visitors can request a green lanyard so that the Festival team can recognise that they may have additional requirements at the event.

Where can I get a lanyard?

Lanyards will be available at the Help Desk and from event staff throughout the venue.

There will be a hearing loop zone available at each stage which deliver clear, direct sound, and reduce the cognitive effort required to decipher speech. This helps prevent the mental exhaustion often associated with hearing loss in loud environments.

There will be a dedicated nursing room on-site.

All stages will have subtitles available.

When appropriate, stages will offer headphones for improved listening so you can hear speaker audio more clearly without background noise. This can be especially helpful if you are sensitive to sound or prefer a more focused listening experience.

• There will be a quiet room for anyone who needs it, attendees could come here to regulate and de-escalate. 
• There is no formal dress code, please dress as you feel comfortable. 
• There is a multi-faith prayer room located inside the hall for anyone who needs it.
• Anyone with an accessibility requirement will be offered a different coloured lanyard so that stewards may easily identify and offer support. 
• Event staff will be wearing green t-shirts in the conference rooms and content stages to be more easily identified and approached for help. 
• There are hearing loops on all the content stages for anyone who is hard of hearing.
• All content stages will have accessible closed captions. 
• The Content+ option means that anyone who does not want to attend in person, for whatever reason, can still view the content across all 7 stages.
• If you’re bringing a support animal, please visit the help desk where staff will be happy to assist with any arrangements such as supplying a water bowl or offering a place to rest.

How to get there
Check out our travel page here. To reduce your carbon footprint we would strongly recommend travelling by public transport where possible.

Parking

Parking is available at Excel London. Please note the updated parking tariffs below.

Pre-booked parking
£27.50 per calendar day
Valid from 00:00–23:50

On-the-day parking (pay on exit)
£30.00 per calendar day
Valid from 00:00–23:59

Excel London has recently redesigned its parking layout. The closest parking area with access to N4 / S4 is now West 3.

You can view the parking map and find further travel information here:
https://www.excel.london/visitor/getting-here/parking-and-taxis