43°22′28″N 80°58′06″W / 43.374308°N 80.968375°W
| Festival Theatre | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Address | 55 Queen Street |
| Town or city | Stratford, Ontario |
| Construction started | 15 April 1953 25 August 1956 |
| Completed | 12 July 1953 30 June 1957 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Rounthwaite & Fairfield |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 2,192 |
Festival Theatre is a performing arts theatre in Stratford, Ontario that is the main venue of the Stratford Festival. The theatre was constructed in the spring of 1953 and was completed in time for the festival's opening on 13 July of that year. The original theatre comprised concrete bleachers covered by a tent and was usable only in the summer. The tent theatre remained in use for four seasons and was taken down in August 1956. That month, construction began on a new permanent building using the existing bleachers. The permanent building opened for the start of the 1957 season. Both the tent theatre and the permanent theatre were designed by architects Rounthwaite & Fairfield of Toronto. Festival Theatre has become a civic symbol of Stratford and serves as the center of the city's cultural life.