San Diego’s Civic Theatre announces a $7.5 million facelift to celebrate six decades of entertainment

For its 60th Diamond Anniversary, the San Diego Civic Theatre is getting treated to a facelift.

As part of a yearlong celebration marking the Civic’s sixth decade entertaining San Diego, the theatre announced upcoming upgrades worth $7.5 million, expected to be completed by late September — taking place between ongoing performances.

“Enhancing the guest experience for those attending events at the Civic Theatre is a top priority,” said Carol Wallace, president and chief executive officer of San Diego Theatres, which manages and operates the Civic Theatre and the historic Balboa Theatre.

“These upgrades will transform the Civic Theatre for a new era and helping ensure it remains a vibrant, contemporary cornerstone of San Diego’s arts and cultural community.”

Significant interior upgrades inspired by San Diego’s trademark coast will transform the Civic Theatre’s front-of-house spaces through a spectrum of new color tones across lobby walls, columns and flooring.

Design services for the project are being provided by Tucker Sadler Architects and IGroup Design. Project management services are being provided by Civic Communities.

Joseph Martinez, San Diego Theatres’ Board Chair, said that funds for the project are coming out of a ticket fee for events at the Civic Theatre.

“We are polishing the diamond, so to speak, bringing it into a new era, and ensuring the theatre is something all San Diegans can be proud to have represent our city,” Martinez said.

Upon entering the venue’s ground floor level, patrons will be greeted by a completely new terrazzo floor where variated blues represent where the sea meets the sky.  New, custom designed carpeting will be installed on all floors, stairs and lobby spaces, mirroring coastal tidal pools using shades of teal, blue, sand, brown and black with gold threads running throughout. 

Work began in March with new paint in the theatre’s upper balcony lobby spaces and will progress to lower floors while taking a brief ‘intermission’ on performance days when audiences are in the building.  Work resumes in June and will continue through mid-September when the improvements are set to be completed.

Extending beyond the entrance, more modern amenities will be installed including European-style privacy stalls in all lobby restrooms, paint and wall coverings. Back-of-house upgrades will feature updated dressing rooms designed to meet the needs of today’s dynamic artists.

As San Diego Theatres made landscaping improvements last summer in areas surrounding the exterior of Civic Theatre and created a more inviting and versatile open-air gathering space, those updates ‘set the stage’ for future outdoor pre-show entertainment and events in the plaza. Additional improvements, planned to be announced soon, aim to further enhance the patron experience even before stepping into the theatre.

The public will have the opportunity to experience the new refreshed Civic Theatre upgrades first-hand during a 60th Anniversary Open House celebration at the end of September.  Open to all San Diegans, guests will enjoy live musical performances, fun activities and free tours of the newly upgraded Civic Theatre. The evening will end with a ticketed event, to be announced soon.