Regent Theatre

Melbourne's lavish Regent Theatre was first opened in 1929 as a picture palace that embodied the glorious fantasy and escapism of the Hollywood era. There's no denying the venue's opulence, which has earned it a place on Victoria's Heritage Register and a listing on the National Trust of Australia. 

When audiences stroll through the golden halls and stare up at the plush red velvet curtains, it's hard to imagine that Regent Theatre was at one stage slated for demolition. Following a fire in 1945 and a decline in grandiose picture palaces, the Regent was closed and much of it's fixtures auctioned off. Having survived the threat of being turned into a car park, the Regent was renovated and reopened in 1996 for stage productions.

These days Regent Theatre in managed by the Marriner Group, can seat 2,145 guests and has hosted some of the biggest shows to come to Melbourne (such as Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Wicked). The theatre was further refurbished in 2019.