The ownership group of iconic live-music venue The Tivoli has taken over Queensland’s oldest-standing theatre the Princess, with plans in the works to revitalise the Woolloongabba landmark into a brand-new music and arts hub. Work has commenced on overhauling the Princess Theatre’s interior, with leading heritage architect JDA, interiors expert Sophie Hart, and builder Herron Coorey spearheading the makeover effort. Once restored, the State Heritage building will boast a state-of-the-art performance auditorium with capacity for 900 patrons standing and 500 seated, four bars, a public cafe, private-event spaces, a rehearsal room, a co-working creative office and workshop space, plus an outdoor courtyard. The venue’s program will incorporate a diverse spectrum of contemporary music and art performances, while independent arts organisation Dead Puppet
Society will be making the Princess Theatre the permanent home of its workshop and gallery. The official reopening of the Princess Theatre is tentatively slated for August 2021, with details on the ongoing program to be announced in the coming months.