Plaza Theatre
The Plaza Theatre is a city-owned historic theatre located in Downtown Palm Springs. The theatre has an impressive role in the history of Palm Springs. Its iconic identity was established on its opening to the public in 1936 with the world premiere of the Oscar-winning George Cukor film, Camille, with its legendary star, Greta Garbo, who allegedly slipped into the back of the theatre after the lights went down. In addition to being a movie theatre, it was also the venue for nationally-broadcast radio theatre programs by such luminaries as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, and Amos ‘n’ Andy.
Over the decades, the building has deteriorated, and the Plaza Theatre Foundation was established to raise funds for restoration of this important building. The City of Palm Springs asked the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation to expand its mission beyond the restoration itself and to then operate the theatre once it is reopened. The Foundation is continuing to raise funds to support this renovation and also provide startup costs once it is completed. The Foundation has already raised approximately $16.5 M but must raise at least $10M more to cover the construction costs and contingencies plus startup expenses.
The restoration project is now underway. Woodcliff Construction of Los Angeles has been hired to oversee the comprehensive renovation of the historic building. The restoration work will take approximately one year to complete, allowing the Plaza Theatre to open in 2025.
The renovated Plaza Theatre will remain a City of Palm Springs facility bringing arts and culture to downtown Palm Springs. When reopened, it will be an affordable community venue showcasing diverse programming, promoting multi-cultural programming in film, music, live theater, education, comedy, and entertainment for all.
The Foundation has partnered with Oak View Group to bring diverse high-quality programming to the theatre. Oak View Group (OVG) is the owner and operator of Acrisure Arena, Southern California’s newest 11,000-capacity world-class venue in Greater Palm Springs. It also owns the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL’s 32nd franchise and the affiliate of the Seattle Kraken. OVG will provide day-to-day management of the historic theatre and secure programming and new sponsorship opportunities. All interested parties that would like to use the theatre are invited to explore booking opportunities at Booking@PSPlazaTheatre.org and be part of this exciting journey.
The Plaza Theatre will once again become a major economic driver for the City, generating millions in economic activity and will bring hundreds of visitors and locals per week to the downtown to see quality entertainment. Its estimated annual financial impact is $40 million and the estimated annual tax benefit to Palm Springs is $4 million.
Status: Under Construction
For more information, visit: https://savetheplazatheatreps.com/
The Plaza Theatre Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity corporation.
Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.