Manitoba commits $15 million to revamp the Pantages Playhouse Theatre

A community group has unveiled a plan to help restore the former Pantages Playhouse in Winnipeg. Jon Hendricks has more.

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is putting up $15 million to help restore a historic theatre in Winnipeg.

The Pantages Playhouse Theatre was built more than a century ago and was a key venue during the vaudeville era.

It hosted concerts, graduation ceremonies and other events over the decades, was declared a national historic site, and closed in 2018 while plans were drawn up for restoration.

The work will include stage upgrades and modern acoustic systems, and the renovated facility will be the new permanent home for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

The renovated building will have roughly 1,100 seats and Curt Vossen, the orchestra’s board chair, says it will fill a gap in the range of venue sizes in Winnipeg.

Officials are hoping to open the revamped building in 2029 and are hoping to get $22 million from the federal government.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2026

The Canadian Press