Accessibility & Inclusion

COMPANION CARD

If you hold a current and valid Companion Card, your carer may accompany you on the day for free. If you have purchased a ticket online, you do not need to purchase an additional ticket for the carer accompanying. On the day, show your SMASH! ticket and valid Companion Card to SMASH! Staff. They will then verify and provide your carer a free pass.

Parents and carers of children not in the Companion Card program will need to purchase a separate ticket.

Assistance Animals

Assistance animals are welcome inside the venue at SMASH!. Any other animals that do not perform a service or are not trained to do so (such as pets) will not be permitted into the venue. An owner must be able to provide reasonable proof of training if requested by venue staff.

If the assistance animal needs to be taken outside of the venue to relieve itself, notify one of our friendly customer service team members who will direct you to the nearest outdoor area.

TRANSPORT

The Rosehill Gardens stop is located on Grand Avenue North (Camellia), which leads to the racecourse’s main entrance which is a short 6-minute walk away. The service connects Carlingford and Westmead via the Parramatta CBD. Services run regularly from 5am until 1am on weekdays and weekends. During major racedays and events, additional services will also run.

Car

  • Three of the city’s major vehicular arteries – Parramatta Rd, Victoria Rd and the M4 Motorway service Rosehill Gardens. There is free car parking in the P4 car park located on James Ruse Drive & Prospect Street and the P6 infield car park. Entry to the infield car park is via Gate 2 Unwin Street. Note the infield car park tunnel height is 3.2m.

Public Transport

Train

  • Catch the train to Parramatta Station, and then catch the Light Rail L4 from Parramatta Square to Rosehill Gardens.

Light Rail

  • The Light Rail L4 will take you from Parramatta Square to Rosehill Gardens.

Bus

  • Bus Route 920 will get you to Rosehill Gardens from Parramatta Station, stop A.

GETTING AROUND THE VENUE

Rosehill Gardens is an accessible venue, with ground level access and lifts to the first floor. If you need additional assistance in getting around the venue, please speak with one of our friendly volunteers who will be able to assist. Maps will be released closer to the date.

PARENTS AND CARERS

A Parent’s Room will be available within the venue. Pram and stroller parking is unfortunately not available.

Getting in to the Event

If you need some additional assistance getting in to the venue, please speak with one of our friendly team members who will be able to assist you. They will be holding signs for accessibility assistance, and will take you to a dedicated area to queue and wait on the day.

Sensory Spaces

SMASH! is proud to be able to bring back our Sensory Spaces for 2025. For any attendee who is feeling overwhelmed and needs a space to rest and recharge, our Sensory Spaces can help accomplish this and allow everyone to enjoy their SMASH! weekend, their way.

Within the Racecourse, look out for the Sunflower symbol, where you will find quiet spaces to relax.

We are also in the process of negotiating other activation spaces, which will be available on the map closer to the event date.

JEDI Knights

Our passionate volunteer team has been code-named the JEDI Knights, led by their dedicated JEDI Master.

JEDI stands for Justice, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

We welcome all into our spaces without prejudice, irrespective of race, beliefs, preferences, pronouns or abilities. The team are trained in Mental Health, the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme and First Aid.

If you notice rebel forces not being inclusive, let any one of the team know, and we will get the JEDI team on to it as quickly as possible!

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme

SMASH Incorporated has signed up to the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme, supporting people with disabilities that may not be so obvious to the casual observer.

Many people with a disability use or carry something – whether that’s a wheelchair, guide dog, hearing aid or white cane – that visibly indicates what the disability might be. But other disabilities, such as autism, dementia, mental health issues or learning difficulties, are not so obvious.

Under the Hidden Disability Sunflower scheme, people with such disabilities can choose to wear a lanyard bearing a sunflower logo as a subtle way of letting others know that they may require additional support, assistance or a bit more time.

Find out more about the Sunflower here.

First Aid

If you need First Aid for any reason throughout the weekend, speak with one of the friendly Racecourse team, who will be able to direct you to the onsite nurse. You can also speak with any SMASH! Staff member who can direct you to the location.

People with Colour Blindness

For those individuals with Colour Blindness, we have introduced dedicated colours to our Staff and Crew shirts this year, to allow them to be easily identifiable to everyone.

More Information

If you require assistance on the day, please approach one of our volunteers or our Information Desk.

Feedback

SMASH! welcomes your feedback on making our convention accessible to all attendees. Please send your suggestions via our Contact page and we will do our best to improve on suggestions.

SMASH! thanks the Sydney Festival for their example in communicating accessibility information.