Plan Your Visit
Whether you're a first time visitor or have been here before, we have put together some information that will help you make the most of your visit to the Phil, starting with some frequently asked questions below.
Common Questions
How long are the performances?What should wear?
Should I arrive early?
What should I do if I'm late for a performance?
I've purchased tickets and find I can't attend a performance?
What if I lose my tickets?
Do you offer reduced-price tickets for students, OAPs, and under 25s?
Where can I purchase RLPO CDs?
Where can I purchase concert programmes?
When do I clap?
I've never been to an orchestra concert before. What should I expect?
Will I recognise any of the music?
How long are the performances?
It varies, but most orchestra concerts are about two hours long, with an interval at the halfway point. Very often there will be several pieces in the concert; but sometimes there is one single work played straight through. It's a good idea to take a look at the programme before the concert to get an idea of what to expect. Family concerts are approximately one hour long without an interval. Non-orchestral events may vary in length - please call the Box Office beforehand for information.
You should wear whatever you are comfortable wearing. People wear everything from business attire to casual clothing to our performances.
Should I arrive early?
Absolutely! Plan to arrive 20 minutes before concert time, so you can find your seat, turn off your mobile phone, take a look at your surrroundings, absorb the atmosphere, and have time to glance through the programme book, too. You won't be alone. Most concertgoers make a point of coming early to read the programme notes, visit the Phil's Café Bar Rubato for delicious pre-concert meals, or just have a drink in the Grand Foyer bar.
What should I do if I’m late for a performance?
Don’t worry if you are late for a concert at the Phil. For Orchestral concerts a steward will wait with you until an appropriate break in the programme between the pieces of music and show you to either your seats or the nearest available seats if time is limited. You can then move to your booked seats at the interval. For most non-orchestral concerts we operate an open door policy for the support act and when the main act is on a steward will show you to your seat in a gap between numbers.
We have a ticket exchange available for RLPO concerts. This service is free for Subscribers and Members, otherwise a service charge is applicable of £2 per ticket. All exchanges must be made 24 hours in advance by post or in person at the Box Office. Exchanges for Philharmonic Events is not available.
Ticket Resale (for sold out concerts only) – For sold out concerts we can try to re-sell your concert ticket for a small fee. Contact the box office on 0151 709 3789 for details.
Ticket transfer: If you can't attend a performance and would like to transfer your tickets to a friend, we can help. To transfer your tickets, call the Box Office on 0151 709 3789. Transfers must be made at least 4 hours prior to the performance.
Contact the Box Office on 0151 709 3789 as soon as you lose your tickets and they will assist you. A service charge of £1.50 per ticket is applicable unless you are a a RLPO subscriber.
Concessions are available at RLPO concerts for under 25s, Students and Claimants who can purchase tickets for just £5 on production of appropriate ID (subject to availability). Concession tickets do not apply to Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Family and Lunchtime concerts and are limited for Carol Concerts.
Senior Citizens may purchase half-priced tickets IN PERSON ONLY (no telephone orders) at the Box Office on the day of the concert. Standby tickets are limited to 2 per person and there are a limited number of seats available for each performance. Standby tickets are not available for Lunchtime, Carol or Family Concerts.
You can buy RLPO recordings from the RLPO shop which is situated in the Grand Foyer on RLPO concert evenings. CDs are also available to purchase online.
Concert programmes are on sale in the Foyer of Philharmonic Hall and at the Information stand in the Grand Foyer bar before the concert starts.
Sometimes at an RLPO concert it can be difficult to know when you’re ‘supposed’ to clap, but mostly you clap only once when the piece is completely finished rather than in between movements when there’s normally a pause of a few seconds. If in doubt, wait for everyone else to start clapping and join in!
I've never been to an orchestra concert before. What should I expect?
Expect to enjoy yourself! This is the time to let go of any preconceptions you may have about classical music or the concert experience. If you feel a little nervous, that's OK. Some things about the concert may seem strange because they're new to you, but if you just focus on the music, you'll have a great time.
Open yourself up to the music. Let it trigger your emotions - maybe even your memories. Feel the rhythms; follow the tunes. Watch the musicians and the conductor, and see how they interact with each other. Notice how the music ebbs and flows - surging and powerful at some times, delicate and mellow at others, and everything in between.
Will I recognise any of the music?
You might. Classical music is all around us: in adverts, film soundtracks, television themes, cartoons and shops. Popular music often quotes classical melodies, too. While you're listening in the concert to a piece you think you've never heard before, a tune you've heard a hundred times may jump out at you.
Whether or not you've heard the music before the concert, as you listen, you'll notice that each classical piece uses its own group of several tunes over and over, in different ways. You'll start to "recognise" these melodies as a work progresses. Listen for the ways a melody is repeated: is it exactly the same as the first time, or with a different character? Is it played by the same instruments, or different ones? Does it start the same as before, but go off in a different direction? Or start differently and surprise you by developing into the tune you recognise from earlier in the piece?