Royal Theatre

On Vancouver Island lies the large and ornate Royal Theatre, which was opened in 1913 and spent 64 years operating as a glamorous cinema before becoming a concert hall in the ’80s — and, as of 1987, became a National Historic Site of Canada. Inside the sizeable brick building, you’ll find the grandeur and elegance of another era, with the stage’s heavy red curtains and gold ceiling mouldings. There are lots of opera and classical performances to reflect the décor, but the Royal also regularly hosts rock shows and pop shows.

With a capacity of about 1400, the Royal has built a reputation for its intimate shows by a wide range of artists such as k.d. lang, Crosby, Stills & Nash, flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya, Luciano Pavarotti, Gordon Lightfoot, Jann Arden, Rodriguez, Canadian country singer Dean Brody, folk singer-songwriter Andy Shauf. The theatre is also home to the Victoria Symphony and Pacific Opera Victoria.

The Royal retains its original Rococo/Renaissance Revival style décor, but possesses an incredibly modern sound system. The seats are comfortable, with good visibility from most sections, wheelchair accessibility to the upstairs and lots of parking nearby.