South African State Theatre, Performance center in Pretoria, South Africa.
The South African State Theatre is a performing arts center in central Pretoria with six performance spaces of different sizes, the largest of which is a full opera house. The smaller venues within the same building host drama, dance, and chamber productions, making it a self-contained complex for the arts.
The building opened in 1981, during the apartheid era, as a state-funded institution meant to serve as a national cultural landmark. After 1994, it went through a transformation to become a space open to artists and audiences of all backgrounds.
The South African State Theatre is a place where local and international artists share a stage, and audiences from all walks of life come together for a performance. Visitors can experience work ranging from opera and ballet to contemporary African dance and spoken word.
The theater is on Pretorius Street in central Pretoria and is easy to reach by public transport or on foot from nearby hotels. Booking tickets in advance is a good idea, as popular shows tend to sell out.
The building's brutalist design means that the entire complex is made of exposed concrete, with no decorative facing on the outside, which makes it stand out sharply against the rest of the city center. This raw exterior contrasts with what visitors find inside, where the stages and auditoriums are fully fitted for professional productions.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
