After closing for upgrades, the Ian Potter State Theatre is reopening this October, six months ahead of schedule. This will be the first completed milestone as part of the $1.7 billion Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project, a city-shaping endeavour that will also deliver the stunning Laak Boorndap garden and The Fox: NGV Contemporary gallery. The upgraded theatre will reopen on Saturday, October 3, with a world-premiere First Nations-led concert, Gugu Dindi Gunyah (Many Rivers. One Home).
Ian Potter State Theatre reopening
The theatre closed for refurbishment in March 2024. This extensive renovation has made the venue more accessible, allowing audience members with mobility challenges to choose seating across all three levels, with two new lifts connecting the foyer to the Stalls. New aisles were introduced in the Stalls and Circle, and new rows were added to the Balcony.
The upgrades have also made the theatre a more comfortable place for visitors, with improved heating and cooling. There were also technical upgrades, such as to the lighting and sound systems, as well as a careful preservation of the theatre’s heritage grandeur.
Bigger than four tennis courts, the Ian Potter State Theatre stage is one of the largest in the world. It’s also the home of resident companies, the Australian Ballet and Opera Australia.
After the theatre reopens, works will continue throughout the Arts Centre Melbourne Theatres Building, including the construction of a new and accessible stage door and space for a new flexible rehearsal area.
Gugu Dindi Gunyah (Many Rivers. One Home)
Created by Mutti Mutti, Nari Nari, Yorta Yorta Songman Kutcha Edwards, this concert is sung entirely in the Aboriginal languages of Song Keepers from across Victoria. The show evokes Country, changing beneath the performers. It celebrates culture, resilience and collective belonging shaped by rivers, songlines, ancestral stories and shared memories.
It runs for 60 minutes, and will take place on Saturday, October 3 at 7pm. Learn more about it here.
Future shows
After that, the next show currently scheduled to take place in the Ian Potter State Theatre is The Wagner Gala Concert on October 16. This concert will mark Opera Australia’s return to the site.
Meanwhile, The Australian Ballet will return with a special season of The Nutcracker from October 24 to 31.
Finally, the first musical to play at the venue will be My Fair Lady. Celebrate 70 years since its debut on Broadway with this stunning production. Running from November 14 to January 10, this show is based on the 2016 Australian production, which was directed by the one and only Julie Andrews.
