Palais Theatre, Heritage theatre in St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia
The Palais Theatre is a performance venue in St Kilda featuring Art Deco design elements that shape its interior and exterior appearance. With around 2,900 seats, it stands as Australia's largest seated theatre and accommodates large audiences for performances.
The building, designed by architect Henry Eli White, opened in 1927 following a fire that destroyed the earlier cinema on the site. This construction represented the rebirth of an entertainment venue in St Kilda's waterfront area.
The venue hosts live performances by international artists and serves as a central gathering place for the city's entertainment scene. It shifted from showing films to staging concerts and theatrical productions, reflecting how the community's tastes and entertainment needs changed over time.
The theatre sits next to Luna Park, making it easy to find while exploring the waterfront area. It underwent a major restoration in recent years and now operates smoothly with regular programming for visitors to check.
The theatre was originally established by the Phillips brothers from Spokane as part of a larger entertainment complex alongside the nearby Luna Park. This connection between the performance venue and the amusement park shapes the visitor experience to this day.
Location: Melbourne
Inception: 1927
Architects: Henry Eli White
Official opening: November 11, 1927
Capacity: 2896
Address: 1 Lower Esplanade, Melbourne VIC 3182
Website: http://palaistheatre.net.au
GPS coordinates: -37.86760,144.97600
Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:21
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