Over the past decade, conversations around live events have increasingly centered on safety, access and experience. In arenas and amphitheaters across the country, artists and venues are thinking more intentionally about how fans move through a space, how they interact with staff and how they feel once the lights go down. For a growing number of industry leaders, that conversation now includes sensory inclusion.
Founded in 2014 in Birmingham, Alabama, KultureCity has become a global force in sensory accessibility, working with more than 7,000 venues and events across 40 countries. The organization focuses on individuals with invisible disabilities and sensory needs, including those with autism, PTSD, dementia and traumatic brain injuries—people for whom loud volumes, flashing lights and densely packed crowds can present significant barriers to participation.
Through staff training, sensory tools, technology and designated quiet spaces, KultureCity is helping reshape how public spaces welcome guests who may experience sensory overload. In 2025 alone, the organization supported more than 3.5 million people through its programs, distributed 1.8 million sensory bags, built 988 sensory rooms and placed 632 mobile sensory stations. Its app, which allows families to preview available resources and plan ahead, has been downloaded 1.9 million times.
The live music industry has increasingly embraced that mission. KultureCity has activated at major tours across genres, including Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres World Tour,” where the organization was present at every show from 2022 through 2025, impacting more than 25,000 lives. It supported Paul McCartney’s 2025 North American tour, reaching more than 3,000 fans, and teamed with Stevie Nicks for nine shows that impacted over 1,500 attendees.
In the country space, Lainey Wilson partnered with KultureCity for every stop of her 2025 “Whirlwind Tour,” with the organization activating at all 31 dates. Across the run, 726 sensory bags were distributed, directly impacting 4,604 fans. At each venue, KultureCity staffed a table near entrances, offering complimentary sensory bags equipped with fidget tools, specialized glasses designed to soften strobe effects and noise-canceling headphones. The bags are free, and fans keep them.
While touring partnerships extend access on the road, permanent infrastructure at venues further anchors the effort. In 2021, KultureCity partnered with Bridgestone Arena and the Nashville Predators to make the downtown Nashville venue fully sensory inclusive. Staff members receive annual training from medical professionals on recognizing and responding to sensory overload. Sensory bags are available through Guest Services, and families can preview features through the KultureCity app before attending an event.
The venue also created The Lauren Daigle Sensory Room, a dedicated space designed by medical professionals to provide a quieter, more secure environment for guests who may need a break. Outfitted with bean bags, visual light panels, tactile activity features and calming design elements, the room reflects a broader shift in how arenas are thinking about the full spectrum of fan experience.
For fans like Wilder Key, those details can make the difference between staying home and being in the building.
“When you first go into a concert and you don’t know how loud it’s going to be, [that’s a challenge], but if it’s not too loud, then I’m usually fine,” Wilder says. “I like to get a sensory bag, put the headphones on and mess with some of the fidgets.”
Wilder, who is autistic, attends shows with his mom, Shea Fowler. For their family, predictability and preparation are key. “Having sensory bags available is a huge relief because I’m constantly trying to make sure we don’t forget the headphones or a fidget—and we don’t know what we may be allowed to bring in,” Shea explains. “We’ve been in environments at theme parks and other places where it’s a whole thing. We have to step out of line and talk through it [with security], which just adds another layer of stress.”
That uncertainty can be enough to deter families from attending altogether. Knowing resources are built into the venue and clearly communicated changes that calculus.
“Knowing that KultureCity is in most every venue we go too, or we can open up the app and figure something out, is really nice,” Shea says.
For Wilder, the message to other kids who may be hesitant about concerts is simple. “Almost 100% of the time, headphones will be enough,” he says. “If they’re not enough, you can always step out and take a break.”
As more artists and venues adopt sensory-inclusive practices, the shift signals something larger than a single room or a table near the entrance. It reflects an evolving understanding of audience development—one that recognizes accessibility not as a niche accommodation but as part of doing business well.
Live music has always been about shared experience. Through partnerships with organizations like KultureCity, the industry is broadening who gets to share in it.
LB Cantrell is Editor/Director of Operations at MusicRow magazine, where she oversees, manages and executes all company operations. LB oversees all MusicRow-related content, including the publication’s six annual print issues and online news. She is a Georgia native and a graduate of the Recording Industry Management program at Middle Tennessee State University.
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