Forum Theatre

Forum Melbourne

Former names	State Theatre (1920-1962)
Address	154 Flinders Street Melbourne Australia
Coordinates	37°49′00″S 144°58′10″E / 37.8165732°S 144.9693686°E / -37.8165732; 144.9693686
Owner	Marriner Group
Designation	Victorian Heritage Register, Historic Buildings Register
Capacity	2,000 standing (Forum 1), 520 seated (Forum 2)
Current use	live music, comedy, film
Construction
Opened	23 February 1929
Years active	1929–1985, 1995–present
Architect	John Eberson
Website
forummelbourne.com.au

The Forum Theatre (originally the State Theatre) is a historic theatre and former cinema now used as a live music and event venue located on the corner of Flinders Street and Russell Street in Melbourne, Australia.

Built in 1929, it was designed by leading US 'picture palace' architect John Eberson, in association with the local architectural firm Bohringer, Taylor & Johnson. Designed as an 'atmospheric theatre', the interior intended to evoke a Florentine walled garden, complete with a cerulean-blue ceiling sprinkled with lights like twinkling stars, mimicking a twilight sky.^[1]

It was renamed the Forum Theatre in 1962, converted into two separate cinemas in 1963, then after the cinemas' closure used for religious services for several years; however, since 1995, it has operated as live music and events venue Forum Melbourne, more commonly known simply as The Forum.