After seven years in the dark, a Winnipeg landmark is getting ready to shine again.
The Pantages Theatre, one of the city’s most storied and historic venues, is on the verge of a comeback. Plans are underway to transform the 1,100-seat venue into a modern concert hall that honours its century-old charm. If all goes according to plan, it will become the future home of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) and a gathering place for the city’s arts community.
But its curtain call depends on raising enough funding to make the $55-million to $60-million transformation a reality. The initiative is being led by the Performing Arts Consortium of Winnipeg Inc. (PAC) and the WSO. PAC has been a steward of the Pantages since 1998 and officially took ownership of the building in 2019.
Now, with new design plans and a shared vision for the future, they’re ready to restore the iconic theatre and reimagine it for future generations.
WSO executive director Angela Birdsell, who will be departing from her role in 2026, says the project is about more than bricks and mortar – it’s about revitalizing a cultural cornerstone of the city.
“It seems that almost everyone has a story about Pantages,” she says. The WSO operated the Pantages as a rental space from 2011 until its closure in 2018, hosting performances and community events. In its final year of operation, the space was used by more than 75 organizations over 150 days, Birdsell says.
But the revitalization hinges on financing. The PAC and WSO are working with all three levels of government to secure roughly half of the project’s price tag, with the remainder to come from private-sector contributions. So far, the organizations have raised $15 million in pledges and plan to launch a major capital campaign once total commitments, including government support, reach between $25 million and $30 million. The City of Winnipeg has recently contributed, donating $837,500 through its Downtown Arts Capital Fund.
For Curt Vossen, chair of the WSO and a director with PAC, this moment represents a turning point – not just for the symphony, but for how Winnipeg supports the arts. He says the WSO is the last major orchestra in Canada still housed in its original “Centennial-era hall” – the large, multi-purpose venues built in many cities in 1967 to mark Canada’s 100th birthday.
“We want to focus on a music-hall type of venue with superior acoustical application and the very best sound transmission,” he says. “That kind of quality requires a highly specialized space – something our current, older venues don’t naturally provide.”
The WSO’s current home has 2,300 seats, which is the largest orchestra venue in the country, located in one of Canada’s smallest capital cities. A renovated Pantages would offer a more appropriately scaled and acoustically tailored setting for the WSO and its audiences.
“We talk a lot about revitalizing downtown,” says Vossen. “But how do you actually do that? One way is by giving people a reason to come downtown. A purpose.”
For Vossen, it’s about creating a domino effect – one that keeps the city buzzing and brings people downtown on a regular basis. “If you’re drawing 500, 1,000 or 1,100 people into the neighbourhood at a time, they start asking, ‘why don’t we grab dinner beforehand?’ or ‘is there somewhere to get coffee after the show?’” he says. “That kind of foot traffic and regular activity is what brings energy and momentum back to the downtown core.”
Architect Brent Bellamy has been thinking about this moment for more than a decade. As the project lead with Number TEN Architectural Group, he and his team have been working behind the scenes to reimagine the historic space. The design plans include a deeper stage, new orchestra pit, modern rigging systems, improved sightlines and upgrades to the heating, cooling and ventilation system, lighting and digital infrastructure. But the most critical transformation is one that concert-goers may not even think about – the sound.
“Most people don’t realize that a theatre and a concert hall are different,” Bellamy says. “A theatre is, conceptually, two rooms. The audience sits in one and the performers in another, separated by the proscenium arch. In a concert hall, everyone is in a single room.”
Transforming a vaudeville-era theatre into a 21st-century symphonic concert hall is no small technical feat. But it’s the kind of challenge that excites Bellamy and his team.
“We’ve been working on this since 2010, so it’s been a long time in the making, but the excitement for this opportunity has never faded,” he says. “Winnipeg used to be a city of theatres – the Capital, Walker, Met, Orpheum and the Pantages. We’re fortunate that a few still stand and it’s a special feeling to know our work will be connected to that timeline in the city’s history.”
Many of the theatre’s upgrades will take place in the 1990s addition, which will be completely reimagined. New amenities include upgraded washrooms, a proper coat check, stylish lounge areas and a rooftop patio.
“The sophistication of the theatre will be extended into new public areas designed to focus on an immersive guest experience,” Bellamy says. “We want to redefine what a night out at the symphony can be.”
One of the most noticeable changes will be the addition of modern seating – the new seats will be larger with accessible seating a priority. The floors will also be adjusted to give the audience a better view and help them feel more connected to the stage.
“We want that magical moment where the WSO fills the space with music and the audience feels connected not only to the sound, but to the history around them,” Bellamy says.
Since opening in 1914, the Pantages has worn many hats. It has hosted vaudeville, live music, theatre and community performances for more than a century. It was designated a municipal heritage site in 1981 and in 1989, recognized nationally as one of Canada’s last surviving vaudeville-era theatres. Now, with momentum building, project leaders are calling for renewed focus to move from vision to reality. While private donations have laid important groundwork, securing government support at all levels – municipal, provincial and federal – remains a critical next step.
“What we need now is a clear signal from all levels of government that they’re on board,” says Vossen. “Public sector support is crucial. We need to know they’re behind this because their commitment will make the project possible.”
A rare survivor
Part of Alexander Pantages’ famed vaudeville circuit, Winnipeg’s theatre was the ninth built in his chain of nearly 80 across North America. Few remain today. Designed by Seattle architect B. Marcus Priteca and local partner George Northwood, the $250,000 concrete structure was fireproof – a cutting-edge feature in 1914. It also hosted Canada’s first-ever jazz concert and later the debut of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. With ornate plasterwork still intact, the building awaits a transformation to carry its legacy into the next century.
