Orpheum

The Orpheum is a performance hall in downtown Vancouver and a national historic site of Canada since 1979, known for its acoustics. The building features Spanish Baroque Revival elements with a domed auditorium whose seating rows curve in arcs around a central crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

The theatre opened in November 1927 as a vaudeville house with nearly 3,000 seats and switched to cinema in the 1930s under Famous Players management. The City of Vancouver acquired the building in 1974 and renovated it extensively before reopening it as a concert hall in 1977.

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performs regularly in this venue, which stands as the largest performing arts organization throughout Western Canada's cultural landscape.

The hall has two entrances on Smithe Street and Granville Street, both within easy walking distance from Granville and Vancouver City Centre SkyTrain stations. Visitors will find the building on Granville Street between Smithe and Robson, surrounded by shops and restaurants in the city's entertainment district.

The theatre's interior served as a filming location for the 2004 television series Battlestar Galactica, where it represented an opera house. The building also houses one of the few remaining Wurlitzer theatre organs from the 1920s, occasionally played during special events.

Location: Vancouver

Inception: November 8, 1927

Official opening: November 8, 1927

Address: 601 Smithe St

Website: https://vancouvercivictheatres.com/venues/orpheum

GPS coordinates: 49.27993,-123.12057

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:31