Adelaide Festival Centre launches public tours of Her Majesty’s Theatre

South Australians are finally be able to appreciate the newly redeveloped Her Majesty’s Theatre (The Maj) in person, with Adelaide Festival Centre providing guided tours since early August.

This exciting opportunity for the public to experience the A$66 million redeveloped theatre in person is one of the first ticketed events held in the venue since COVID-19 closures in March. 

Her Majesty’s Theatre – photo credit Chris Oaten

Audiences have shown great interest in seeing inside the new theatre, and our public tours are booked out until Christmas. Following its success, Adelaide Festival Centre hopes to announce further tour dates in 2021.

On the Curtain Up Tour, patrons are able to view The Maj’s new state-of-the-art facilities, striking architectural details that complement its 100+ years of history and get to glance behind the curtain and backstage, including the famous signature wall.

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier AM said he and the team were working closely with SA Health to ensure public safety is paramount.

“We are fortunate to be in a position in SA where we can begin welcoming audiences back into our venues, and this is our way of finally being able to share the stunning new-look Her Majesty’s Theatre with the wider community.

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO & Artistic Director Douglas Gautier AM

“The redeveloped theatre is truly a grand sight to behold and really needs to be seen in person to be appreciated. This is a project we hope will be celebrated by all South Australians and we invite everybody to experience our new home and feel part of something special in our state.

“We are also working closely with local arts companies and carefully planning and adapting to changing restrictions in order to safely reopen our venues and ensure patrons, artists and staff feel comfortable returning. These include strict hygiene measures, thorough cleaning, hand sanitising stations on site and operating our venues at 50 per cent capacity, in line with SA Health recommendations.”

Adelaide Festival Centre has also launched Her Majesty’s Theatre Virtual Tour, giving audiences an online tour of the stunning theatre, along with a special online walk-through with Douglas Gautier which can be viewed here.

Her Majesty’s Theatre Virtual Tour guide Kidaan Zelleke

 The world-class theatre is ready to house more blockbuster productions, with the first major production for the venue, Gaslight, presented by State Theatre Company South Australia.

Work on the redeveloped and larger Her Majesty’s Theatre commenced in June 2018 and was officially unveiled in June 2020 to enthusiastic reviews. Located on Grote Street in the Chinatown Precinct, The Maj is managed by Adelaide Festival Centre, making her a part of the family that is ‘The Heart of The Arts’ in South Australia.

The transformed iconic South Australian theatre is now larger and more accessible and features a 1467-seat auditorium over three levels, with the Grand Circle returning for the first time in more than 50 years.

The Adelaide landmark was built in 1913 and is the last remaining example of the famous chain of Tivoli theatres – the increased capacity, combined with more spacious backstage facilities, will allow Her Majesty’s Theatre to host at least 50 extra performances a year and attract some of Australia’s most popular touring shows and musicals.

Adelaide Festival Centre venues were forced to close in March due to COVID-19 restrictions. Stay up to date on current COVID information and more events to be announced in coming months here.