Lower Tier at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Rows A to J, the closer of the two tiers, and where the best seats in the theatre are.
Where to sit
The whole of this tier sits inside the band we would send anyone to, so what you are choosing here is how close you want to be rather than which seats to avoid. Sit centre where you can, though the curve of the rows means a side seat still faces the stage.
Anywhere central from a couple of rows back. The seats start at stage level and rise from there, so from about row B the middle of this tier is where we would put most people: close enough to see faces, with the whole stage in front of you. Towards the ends of the rows you are a little more side on. The centre block is the premium price band.
Rows B, C and D if being close is the point of the evening. Row D in particular looks down onto the raised plinth the stage tends to be built out with here, which is a better angle than the two rows in front of it get.
Row A is the front row. The stage sits roughly at eye level for someone around 5ft 7, so you are looking along it rather than down onto it, and the speakers on the grass bank beneath the stage are close.
Row J, and what it trades
Row J sits in the gangway between the two tiers. It has no steps to reach, nothing directly in front of it, effectively unlimited legroom and a clear view, and the walking route across the auditorium runs through it. For anyone who wants space it is the best row in the theatre.
Because there is no row immediately in front, the person in row I sits higher relative to you than they would in an ordinary row, so a tall head in front counts for more here than anywhere else in the building.
Seats the theatre holds back
The theatre keeps the whole of row A, the side-block seats in row B, the outermost pairs in rows C to I and most of row J off sale until the sightlines are confirmed for each production. Different productions confirm different seats, which is why a row that was on sale for one show may not be for the next.
Underfoot
The concrete gangway in front of row A has drain covers with holes in them that catch a narrow heel, and water sits in the cracks there after rain.
Getting down here
Rows A to I are reached by steps on a gentler incline than the Upper Tier's. Row J is level, and the access route has the rest.
Lower Tier FAQs
Which are the best seats in the Lower Tier?
Anywhere in the middle from a couple of rows back. Rows B to D if you want to be close, and row D gets the best angle onto the raised stage of the three.
Is row A too close at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre?
It depends what you want from it. It is the loudest row, with the speakers right underneath the stage, and you look along the stage rather than down onto it. A good seat for a show you already know; for a first visit, a couple of rows back is the safer choice.
Does the Lower Tier have steps?
Rows A to I do, though they are gentler than the Upper Tier's. Row J has none, which is why the wheelchair spaces are there.