Ed Mirvish Theatre, Historic theatre in downtown Toronto, Canada
The Ed Mirvish Theatre is a heritage-designated performance venue in downtown Toronto, designed by architect Thomas Lamb in 1920. The interior shows ornate arches, plaster moldings, and detailed woodwork across two levels that together hold about 2,300 seats.
Designed by Thomas W. Lamb, the theatre opened on 28 August 1920 as the Pantages Theatre, the easternmost house of Alexander Pantages's vaudeville circuit, with 3,373 seats. Famous Players took full control in 1930 and renamed it the Imperial Theatre, showing only films; the last was The Godfather in 1972. Architect Mandel Sprachman split it into six cinemas, reopened by Mayor David Crombie in 1973 as the Imperial Six. A 1988–89 renovation by David K. Mesbur restored the 1920 look, and it reopened as the Pantages.
The name honors Ed Mirvish, a Canadian businessman and patron of the performing arts who restored and reopened the building in 1989. Visitors today watch musical productions and live performances in a space that recalls the golden era of North American theater.
The two entrances at 263 Yonge Street and 244 Victoria Street lie within a few minutes' walk from Yonge-Dundas Square, with subway and streetcar lines nearby. Visitors should allow enough time to find their seat before a show starts and take in the interior details.
The Canadian premiere of The Phantom of the Opera in 1989 brought Irish tenor Colm Wilkinson to the stage as the Phantom. That moment marked the beginning of a new chapter for the restored building and drew international attention to Toronto.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,076 contributors worldwide.
