The Princess Theatre turns two...

In 2020, the team behind Brisbane’s iconic and cherished Tivoli Theatre made the courageous decision to tackle the restoration of Queensland’s oldest-standing and only surviving 19th century theatre. This week, we celebrate 2-years since we flung open the doors to relaunch The Princess Theatre – a gift from us to you, the amazing humans of Brisbane. 

The Princess Theatre restoration project was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that presented itself to us at the height of the pandemic. Some may call us crazy, but it pained us too much to think what the future of this incredible building would be if it fell into the wrong hands. 

Brisbane has a long-standing history of letting historical buildings of cultural significance fall by the wayside. Think – Festival Hall, The Regent Theatre, Theatre Royal, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Cloudland, or the original Tivoli Theatre that was located in King George Square. We couldn’t let The Princess be another casualty of this long-standing cultural narrative. 

With the dedicated support of our friend and investment partner Steve Wilson (who has done so much for Brisbane), and with the unwavering commitment of our incredible staff, we battled against significant odds to flip the building in under 10 months, rebrand, and relaunch.

In November 2021, we presented a revitalised, world-class theatre back into the community for future generations to enjoy, and for the purpose of what it was originally intended for – arts, culture, and togetherness. 

In its short 24-month lifespan under new direction, The Princess Theatre has fast become one of Australia’s most sought-after performance venues, known for its respectful treatment of heritage, stunning sound quality, and warm and inviting atmosphere. We have already hosted over 400 local, national, and international events, and welcomed over 200,000 people through the doors. 

The Princess Theatre has been honoured with the Award for Investment in Brisbane at the 2022 Lord Mayors Business Awards, received the Award for Heritage Restoration at the 2022 Queensland Architecture Awards (in partnership with JDA Co.), was runner-up to The Tivoli, for the Metropolitan Live Music Venue of the Year award at the 2022 Queensland Music Awards, and was a finalist for the 2023 National Music Awards for Best Qld Live Music Venue (also won by The Tivoli).

We’ve featured prolific artists such as Paul Kelly, Ball Park Music, Archie Roach, Kimbra, Moderat, Khruangbin, Amyl and The Sniffers, Hot Chip, Bright Eyes, The Church, Aldous Harding, Matt Corby and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – just to name a few. We’ve also presented two iterations of Open Season, and partnered with the team at Brisbane Festival to deliver two amazing festival programs in 2022 and 2023. You can check out the memories captured by some of Brisbane’s finest music photographers via the Gig Galleries section of our website.  

The renovation was beautifully documented by our talented friend and established photographer John Feely, and as a way of celebrating this 2-year milestone with the public, we’re excited to share the journey with you all – in picture format.

If you’d like to dive deeper into The Princess Theatre’s rich history, our local historian Robert Allen has complied a short summary of legacy we’re standing upon.

If we’re all committed to ensuring venues like The Princess Theatre stay standing tall and proud, our call to action for you is this: Get off the couch, put your phone down, buy tickets and support artists - the people who bring joy, fire, creativity, vitality, and passion into the world. Thanks for your patronage thus far and we look forward to many more years of creating memories with you all. 

Dave Sleswick (Creative Director), The Tivoli and The Princess Theatre.