Festival Theatre
Address: 13-29 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9FT
This performing arts venue first opened in 1892 and was originally named the Empire Palace Theatre. It has undergone many transformations since then, suffering a catastrophic fire in 1911, a complete refurbishment of the auditorium in 1928, and becoming a bingo hall from 1963. But in 1994, the theatre was restored with a new stage, front of house areas and an impressive glass frontage, and it became The Festival Theatre we all know and love today.
Seating an audience of up to 1,915 people, the Festival Theatre mainly hosts ballet and opera performances, concerts, musicals and festival events. It has a café and foyer bars, where you can pick up refreshments before the show and during the interval. The theatre also runs fascinating backstage tours, where you can go behind the scenes to learn some of its stories and uncover a few secrets.
5 things to do at the Festival Theatre
- See a ballet, opera or touring show.
- See a musical or concert.
- Enjoy pre-performance refreshments in the café.
- Have an interval drink in one of the foyer bars.
- Go behind the scenes on a backstage tour.
