Pavilion Arts Centre

The Pavilion Arts Centre is Buxton’s second theatre venue and it is located in the Pavilion Gardens behind the Opera House. 

The venue was originally opened in 1889 as ‘The Entertainment Stage’ and subsequently became the Hippodrome and the Paxton Suite. It has been converted to a state-of-the-art, £2.5 million theatre and conference venue. Although the design of the arts centre, and the technology installed in it, are both contemporary, great care was taken to retain many of the building’s original features. For example, the balcony, which was taken out of use when a suspended ceiling was installed in 1979, has been restored and the seating it provides offers an excellent vantage point.

The Pavilion Arts Centre has two spaces, a 352-seat Main Room and 93-seat Studio Theatre. The Main Room has a mixed programme of stand-up comedy including the Buxton Buzz Comedy Club and music events including Coffee Concerts, lunchtime jazz. This venue is also used for performances by Buxton Festival, Buxton Festival Fringe and live streaming events from prestigious theatres and opera companies around the country. It has it’s own bar and box office which is open for an hour before each performance.

The Studio Theatre houses the programme of fringe, independent small-scale drama and film. There is no box office for the studio, so book your tickets in advance or bring cash to pay on the door.

For more information and to book tickets, visit the What’s On page of the Buxton Opera House website which lists events at all three locations: the Buxton Opera House, the Pavilion Arts Centre and the Studio Theatre.