Festival Theatre

Why go

The Festival Theatre’s history bridges music hall, international ballet and the renewal of a former bingo venue. The glass-fronted entrance added in 1994 makes the contrast with the earlier auditorium especially clear. Its association with opera, ballet and large musical performances gives a theatre evening a different emphasis from simply viewing the building outside.

What to look for

• The modern glass-fronted entrance dates from the theatre’s 1994 remodelling.
• The auditorium combines art nouveau, beaux arts and neoclassical design.
• The venue’s Festival history includes Margot Fonteyn’s appearance in 1947.

The full story

The venue was formerly the Empire Palace Theatre, with a history of music hall and popular entertainment. It became a principal Edinburgh International Festival venue between 1947 and 1963 and developed a strong association with ballet. Margot Fonteyn danced in The Sleeping Beauty during the first Festival in 1947; later appearances included the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera and Old Vic. For nearly thirty years after 1963, the building served as a bingo hall, returning only temporarily to Festival use. A major remodelling brought it back as a theatre in June 1994. Colin Ross designed the glass-fronted new entrance, while restoration recovered the character of the 1928 auditorium. Its mixture of art nouveau, beaux arts and neoclassical elements sits behind that modern frontage. The result is a building whose two main impressions reflect different chapters: the earlier entertainment palace and its late-twentieth-century return to live performance.

Useful to know

• Select a performance through Capital Theatres before fixing the visit; interior access follows current visitor arrangements.
• Compare the Nicolson Street glass entrance with the older auditorium when attending a performance.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.