Palais Theatre
A landmark 1920s picture palace in St Kilda that operates as one of Australia's largest seated live-entertainment venues.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Palais Theatre is a historic theatre, former cinema and live-entertainment venue on the St Kilda foreshore in Melbourne, Victoria. With seating for nearly 3,000 people, it is generally described as Australia's largest seated theatre. The building stands beside Luna Park and is a major component of the St Kilda foreshore entertainment precinct. The venue developed from the entertainment enterprises established by American-born brothers Leon, Herman and Harold Phillips. The brothers arrived from Spokane, Washington, and worked with showman James Dixon Williams on Luna Park, which opened in 1912. They subsequently developed dance halls and picture theatres on the nearby triangular site. A Palais de Danse opened there in 1913 and was converted into Palais Pictures in 1915. Further rebuilding followed, including the construction of an arched-truss steel-framed picture theatre in 1919 and interior work associated with architect Walter Burley Griffin. A major reconstruction designed by Griffin was close to completion when fire destroyed the building in 1926. The Phillips brothers responded by commissioning theatre specialist Henry Eli White to design a larger and more imposing replacement. The new Palais Pictures was officially opened by the Mayor of St Kilda on 12 November 1927. Film screenings began the following evening with Across the Pacific and Rough House Rosie, accompanied by interval entertainment from Harry Jacobs and his orchestra. For its first decades, the venue functioned mainly as a cinema. During the 1950s its role shifted increasingly toward live entertainment, and its name changed from Palais Pictures to Palais Theatre. The venue hosted international popular performers including Johnnie Ray, Bob Hope, the Rolling Stones and Tom Jones, while also presenting films, opera, ballet, theatre and comedy. Its programme later included appearances by major ballet companies, The Australian Ballet, Australian Opera productions and touring stage works. The Palais has also played a role in Melbourne's film culture. The Melbourne Film Festival used the venue from 1962 to 1982, and the theatre hosted the International Women's Film Festival in 1975. It presented the Australian premiere of A Film About Jimi Hendrix in 1974 or 1975, a screening notable for the reported first use of a 1,000-watt sound system at an Australian cinema presentation. The building has appeared in films, television and music-video productions, and Michael Nesmith recorded Live at the Palais there. The theatre is architecturally notable for its ornate and eclectic 1920s design. Its facade has an arched roof and twin domed towers with Spanish Baroque detailing, while the interior combines neoclassical columns and pilasters, a shallow auditorium dome, Adam-style plasterwork and concealed lighting. Although sometimes characterized as Spanish, French, Oriental or Italian, Henry White stated that he had not followed one specific architectural style. The Palais is included on the Victorian Heritage Register. In 2015 it was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame. After a period of uncertainty surrounding the redevelopment of the St Kilda Triangle and the expiry of an earlier lease, the City of Port Phillip granted Live Nation a new 30-year lease in 2016. The Victorian Government announced a restoration valued at A$20 million, and the renovated theatre reopened in May 2017 with its exterior returned to an approximation of its original sand colour. It remains an active destination for concerts and other large-scale performances.
History
The Palais Theatre emerged from a chain of entertainment developments on the St Kilda foreshore. Leon, Herman and Harold Phillips, brothers from Spokane, Washington, established Luna Park with American showman James Dixon Williams in 1912. After Williams returned to the United States, the Phillips brothers continued developing the foreshore as a destination for amusement, dancing, cinema and popular entertainment. Their first building on the current theatre site was the Palais de Danse, opened in 1913. It became Palais Pictures in 1915. In 1919 a new arched-truss structure was erected over the earlier building, which was dismantled and moved north to become a rebuilt Palais de Danse. Walter Burley Griffin was associated with remodelling work at the dance hall and later with a substantial redesign of Palais Pictures. That project was nearly finished when fire destroyed the cinema in 1926. The Phillips brothers commissioned Henry Eli White, a specialist in theatre design, to create a larger replacement. The new building opened officially on 12 November 1927 and began film presentation the next day. Its scale was exceptional for Melbourne outside the central city theatres, and its ornate exterior and richly decorated auditorium made it a landmark of the foreshore. The Palais operated primarily as a cinema until the 1950s, when live performance became increasingly important. The building hosted touring popular-music acts, stage productions, opera, ballet, comedy and special film events. The Bolshoi Theatre, Kirov Ballet and Stars of World Ballet appeared there, while The Australian Ballet used the venue for significant Melbourne presentations, including productions of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Jesus Christ Superstar was presented at the theatre in the 1970s, and Joan Sutherland appeared with Australian Opera in The Merry Widow in 1979. The venue was also connected with Melbourne's film institutions. The Melbourne Film Festival was based at the Palais between 1962 and 1982. In 1975 the International Women's Film Festival screened films and hosted events at the theatre. The building continued to serve as a location and cultural symbol through appearances in Australian films, television and music videos. Following the death of the last Phillips brother in 1957, the Palais, Palais de Danse and Luna Park passed to local entrepreneurs. In the mid-2000s, the City of Port Phillip proposed redevelopment of the wider St Kilda Triangle, which generated uncertainty around the theatre's lease and future. A former lessee removed several interior items, including a Spanish-style lobby chandelier; subsequent legal proceedings determined that the former lessee's ownership claim to those items was valid, and they remained in storage according to the cited account. From 2007 to 2016 the venue was managed by Palais Theatre Management Pty Ltd, an entity established by the City of Port Phillip. In 2016 Live Nation received a new 30-year lease, alongside a state-supported restoration program. The theatre reopened in May 2017 after refurbishment and repainting. It remains protected under the Victorian Heritage Register and continues to operate as a major seated venue for music and other live events.
- 2017
Restored venue reopens
[1]The renovated theatre reopened in May after a major restoration program.
- 2016
New Live Nation lease
[1]Live Nation received a 30-year lease as the venue entered a new management and restoration phase.
- 2015
Music Victoria Hall of Fame induction
[1]The Palais Theatre was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.
- 1982
Australian Ballet presents commissioned Nutcracker
[1]A commissioned Nutcracker choreographed by Leonid Kozlov and Valentina Kozlova premiered at the venue on 8 October.
- 1977
Australian Ballet presents Swan Lake
[1]The Australian Ballet premiered Anne Woolliams' production of Swan Lake at the Palais on 19 October.
- 1962
Melbourne Film Festival residency begins
[1]The Melbourne Film Festival began using the Palais as a base, continuing through 1982.
- 1950
Transition toward live entertainment
[1]During the 1950s the venue increasingly shifted from cinema toward concerts and other live performances and adopted the Palais Theatre name.
- 1927
Present Palais opens
[1]Henry Eli White's replacement theatre opened officially on 12 November, with its first films shown the following night.
- 1926
Fire destroys Palais Pictures
[1]A fire destroyed the building during a major remodelling project, leading to the commissioning of the present theatre.
- 1915
Conversion to Palais Pictures
[1]The dance hall was converted into a picture theatre known as Palais Pictures.
Products and positioning
A heritage-led, large-capacity live-entertainment venue combining the atmosphere and architecture of a historic picture palace with contemporary concert and performance programming.
Live music · 1950
Concerts
The Palais's principal contemporary offering is large-scale seated concert presentation. Its nearly 3,000-seat configuration suits touring international and Australian artists while preserving the sightlines and atmosphere of a historic theatre. The venue became especially associated with live music after its cinema era declined in the 1950s.
Theatre, opera and ballet · 1927
Performing arts
The venue has hosted ballet companies, opera, musical theatre and other stage productions. Historical presentations include work by The Australian Ballet, the Bolshoi Theatre, the Kirov Ballet, Australian Opera and productions of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Film exhibition · 1927
Cinema and film events
Although now primarily a live venue, the Palais began as a cinema and has continued to host special screenings, premieres and festivals. Its film history includes the Melbourne Film Festival's long association with the building and the International Women's Film Festival's 1975 events.
Brand decisions
2016
Long-term lease and restoration partnershipStrategyBackground
The theatre's earlier lease was nearing its end amid debate over redevelopment of the St Kilda Triangle and the future of the heritage building.
Action taken
The City of Port Phillip granted Live Nation a new 30-year lease, while the Victorian Government announced a major restoration program.
Aftermath
The theatre was restored and reopened in May 2017, continuing as an active large-capacity performance venue.
Announced restoration allocation. A$20 million (2016 announcement)
Sources1 sources
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