Green thistle

Festival Theatre

There has been a theatre on this site on Nicholson Street since 1830. The current building originally opened in 1892 as the Empire Palace Theatre. It was an extremely lavish and ornate venue, which partially burnt down in 1911, when a terrible fire ripped through the stage, causing huge damage and killing several performers. It was rebuilt and reopened the same year. From 1963, the building became a bingo hall and live music venue. Then in 1994, it was lovingly restored to its former glory and reopened as The Festival Theatre with a striking new glass façade. Today it is one of the grandest Edinburgh theatres, with the largest stage in Scotland.