Arts Centre Melbourne’s Ian Potter State Theatre will officially reopen tomorrow, Saturday 3 October, six months ahead of schedule, following its first major refurbishment since opening in 1984.
The 2000-seat theatre, which closed for upgrades in March 2024, is the first completed milestone of the Victorian Government’s city-shaping Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project.
The extensive refurbishment designed by Melbourne’s NH Architecture and Norway’s Snøhetta has improved accessibility and comfort, as well as significant technical updates to lighting and sound while carefully preserving the theatre’s heritage grandeur.
“As lead architect, we’ve guided the renewal of the Ian Potter State Theatre from its early planning through to detailed design and delivery,” said said NH Architecture Director Hamish Lyon.
Throughout, our approach has been grounded in listening and close collaboration with Arts Centre Melbourne, Snøhetta and the project’s construction, heritage, performance and technical teams.”
“Together, we have retained the integrity and theatrical character of the original vision established by Roy Grounds and John Truscott, while enabling the theatre to meet the needs of contemporary performance for decades to come.”
Bigger than four tennis courts, the Ian Potter State Theatre stage is one of the largest stages in the Southern Hemisphere; the legendary Academy Award-winning Australian designer and artistic director John Truscott designed the interiors of the venue.
The beloved theatre is also home to two of Arts Centre Melbourne’s Resident Companies, The Australian Ballet and Opera Australia, and is recognisable for its majestic house curtain, designed by Graham Bennett, featuring golden hand-painted Victorian wildflowers and lyrebird’s tail which was carefully conserved during construction.
Arts Centre Melbourne Chief Executive Officer Karen Quinlan AM said she was thrilled to officially reopen the Ian Potter State Theatre to audiences once more.
“With improved accessibility and comfort, combined with state-of-the-art technical upgrades to sound and lighting while conserving its wonderful heritage design, the Ian Potter State Theatre will host thousands of performances and millions of visitors across the next 40 years,” she said.
“We will honour First Nations voices, history and connection to the place that Arts Centre Melbourne stands in our first performance on the stage – Gugu Dindi Gunyah (Many Rivers. One Home) and invite Victorians to experience Housewarming, a series of free performances celebrating the performing arts,” said Quinlan.
“The Ian Potter State Theatre has been an icon of Victoria’s creative scene for four decades – now it’s back, better than ever and six months ahead of schedule. Labor is backing the arts precinct and the thousands of jobs it creates,” said Minister for Creative Industries Vicki Ward.
The Ian Potter State Theatre Reopening Program includes:
Gugu Dindi Gunyah (Many Rivers. One Home): Saturday 3 October
A powerful world-premiere First Nations-led concert created by Mutti Mutti, Nari Nari, Yorta Yorta Songman Kutcha Edwards and sung entirely in the Aboriginal languages of Song Keepers from across Victoria.
Housewarming: 9 – 12 October
A free, fast-paced performance featuring more than 100 Victorian artists from the worlds of music, dance, theatre, and circus. Free performances run across one unforgettable weekend, with food entertainment and activities continuing beyond the stage.
Entry to ENCORE! – a new exhibition at AMPA celebrating 50 years of the Australian Performing Arts Collection will be free across the Housewarming weekend. Visitors can also enjoy free guided tours, DJ sets and roaming performances from Born in a Taxi.
In addition, over two nights – 9 October and 10 October – visitors can experience a dazzling laser light show, Spire Alight, on the iconic Theatres Building Spire.
Image: Interior of the Ian Potter State Theatre – Arts Centre Melbourne – photo by Tom Blachford