With professional ballet, opera and symphony companies, a presenter of touring Broadway shows, the nation’s fifth largest community theatre and scores of performance venues, Grand Rapids delivers high-quality entertainment for every taste.
We also strive to make entertainment accessible for people of all abilities and resources. From physical accommodations and technological innovations to adaptive performances and reduced ticket prices, our performing arts community is intent on giving everyone the opportunity to experience the transformative power of the arts.
Here is a brief look at the accessibility features of select Grand Rapids performing arts organizations and venues.
Broadway Grand Rapids brings the best of national touring productions to DeVos Performance Hall, with accessibility services for every show.
Photo by HAMILTON National Tour - Broadway Grand Rapids
Broadway Grand Rapids
Broadway Grand Rapids brings the very best of national touring productions to DeVos Performance Hall each year. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is available throughout the season, with many shows offering a scheduled ASL performance. Many shows also offer an Open Captioning (OC) performance. Audio Description (AD) services and a Telecoil/Hearing Loop System are offered at every show, as is the GalaPro app, which delivers individual closed captioning and audio description to a user's own mobile device, in a user’s own language.
Some Broadway productions that come to Grand Rapids offer “touch tours” during which visually impaired patrons can go on stage before the show to feel costumes, set pieces and props, immersing themselves in the imaginary world of the performance.
Recognizing that cost can be a barrier to accessibility, Broadway Grand Rapids has implemented a Broadway Arts Access Program offering $5 tickets to families experiencing financial hardship and free tickets to kids from Title 1 schools.
DeVos Performance Hall
Devos Performance Hall is a 2,543-seat performing arts center in downtown Grand Rapids that hosts performances by Broadway Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Ballet, Opera Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Symphony, as well as touring concerts, comedy and family shows.
The facility is fully compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and offers accessible seating, ticketing, parking and signage. Complimentary Assisted Listening Devices (ALDs) are available, as are booster seats and sensory bags that include wiggle seats, lap pads, noise-canceling headphones and fidget toys.
DeVos recently added new accessible restrooms and a new elevator to an accessible seating area. A new Sensory Room/Nursing Mother Room is coming soon.
GLC Live at 20 Monroe
This downtown GR venue hosts live music concerts, comedy shows and more. The main floor is open and barrier-free, with spaces reserved for guests who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids, or who have limited mobility. Accessible seating is available on the mezzanine level, which can be reached by elevator. Restrooms on both floors are fully accessible.
GLC Live at 20 Monroe incorporates ALDs technology that allows guests with hearing loss to use their own mobile devices and headphones, or check out a receiver and headphones from the box office during the event. Sign language interpretation is available upon request (with at least two weeks’ notice).
Guests with sensory needs can check out a sensory kit that includes verbal cue cards, strobe-canceling glasses, wiggle seats, lap pads and other items to enhance their enjoyment. GLC Live also encourages guests to reach out to staff by phone or email in advance of shows to discuss any other accommodations they might need.
Experience the elegance of Grand Rapids Ballet in fully accessible venues, including wheelchair seating at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre.
Photo by Ray Nard Imagemaker
Grand Rapids Ballet
Michigan’s only professional ballet company, Grand Rapids Ballet has been entertaining local dance fans for more than 50 years. The company presents shows at both DeVos Performance Hall (see above) and downtown GR’s Peter Martin Wege Theatre each year.
The 300-seat Peter Martin Wege Theatre is an ADA-accessible venue, with features including wheelchair-accessible seating. Not content to stop there, GR Ballet is offering sign-language interpretations for the first time in 2025, during select performances of Be Here Now (April 25-27 & May 2-4).
In summer of 2025, the Ballet will be conducting an accessibility assessment for its in-person and online experiences, reviewing everything from e-reader accessibility on its website to the creation of lactation spaces in theatre lobby.
With ASL interpreters, sensory backpacks, and Low Sensory Performances, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre ensures a welcoming experience for everyone.
Photo by Bryan Esler, Courtesy of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
Born in the 1920s, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre is today the 5th largest community theatre in the country, presenting nine mainstage productions each year with the help of 800+ talented volunteers. It offers a wide range of services, resources and advice to assist anyone and everyone to experience the thrill and excitement of live theatre.
Guests can check out headsets that relay live commentary of on-stage action interspersed with actors’ dialogue. Touch tours are provided prior to these Audio Description Performances for those who want to familiarize themselves with the set, props and costumes ahead of a performance. ALDs are available for use by hearing impaired individuals and the theatre also has a T-Coil Hearing Loop system that allows audience members who have hearing aids to connect via their device or phone for amplified listening.
ASL interpreters are available at select performances. Low Sensory Performances include reduced sound volume, adjusted lights, limited seating and an opportunity to learn about the show ahead of time. Relaxed Environment Performances are ideal for anyone who benefits from being able to make noise, leave and return to their seat, or access restrooms during the performance. Visit the Civic’s Accessible Resources page for dates of these special performances.
Sensory backpacks, filled with weighted lap pads, earplugs, fidget cubes, stress balls, dark glasses and more, are available at every performance. “Pick your Price” Wednesdays allows patrons to pay whatever they can afford for tickets.
Every year, Grand Rapids Symphony hosts a free Access to Music concert, inviting students and senior groups to experience music therapy alongside the orchestra.
Photo by Russ Climie-Tiberius, Courtesy of Grand Rapids Symphony
Grand Rapids Symphony
Many Grand Rapids Symphony concerts are presented in DeVos Performance Hall, affording all the accessibility features outlined above. The Symphony also brings music out into the community, to individuals facing health challenges ranging from brain injury to dementia to cancer. Music for Health (MFH) combines the artistry of Symphony musicians with the expertise of music therapists to provide supportive physical, emotional and spiritual experiences for patients as well as for the families and providers caring for them. MFH has served nearly 14,000 people since it launched in 2014.
The Symphony also presents a free Access to Music concert each year, designed for audiences with special needs. Students and senior groups from various organizations are invited to attend, and music therapists guide a range of interventions to help audience members connect with the orchestra’s performance.
Van Andel Arena
With 12,000+ seats, Van Andel Arena is West Michigan’s largest performance venue, and it hosts the nation’s biggest touring concerts and family shows, as well as the Grand Rapids Gold basketball team, Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team and Grand Rise female volleyball team.
Guests with ADA needs can access a full range of accommodations, including accessible building access, seating, ticketing, signage and parking. Complimentary hearing assistance devices are available, as are complimentary sensory items: wiggle seats, lap pads, noise-canceling headphones and fidget toys.
Van Andel is currently in the process of adding adult changing stations and two dedicated nursing mothers pods to the facility.
More Accessible Options
- Actors’ Theatre Grand Rapids, which is committed to diverse and inclusive programming, offers pay-what-you-can tickets for every show.
- Circle Theatre, which presents a variety of plays, musicals and concerts every summer, is fully accessible by wheelchair and other mobility assistance devices, and features both T-Loop and sound amplification devices for those who need it.
- Opera Grand Rapids, the longest-running professional opera in Michigan, maintains a Community Tickets Program providing free tickets to community members who’ve never experienced an opera before.
- Wealthy Theatre, a historic performing arts venue and cinema in Uptown GR, offers a variety of accessible seating options and hearing-assistive devices.