Your Visit

Theatre Royal Nelson offers Nelsonians a fully restored heritage theatre for all to enjoy and be proud of. The Theatre is used for local theatre companies shows, school productions, dance schools and community events as well as national and international touring shows.

Tickets

All events at Theatre Royal Nelson are ticketed through our PatronBase ticketing system.

Please beware of scammers and only buy your tickets through our website or box office. The likes of Viagogo will advertise tickets to our shows, charging exorbitant prices for non-existing seats. Do not search for shows through a search engine, as the first hits are usually the unofficial sites.

Ticket prices include GST but exclude the service fee, which is:

  • $1.50 per ticket for online purchases
  • $2.50 per ticket for tickets bought through the Box Office, in person or over the phone.

Purchases made using a credit card, either debit and credit, incur a 3% surcharge.

Transferring seats is sometimes possible, subject to availability and a transfer fee of $2.50 per ticket, plus 3% card surcharge if relevant.

Cancelling tickets and requesting a refund is generally not available.

If a show is postponed or cancelled, ticket holders will be contacted.

  • Postponement: tickets will be valid for the new date. If the new date does not suit, ticket holders will be entitled to a full refund.
  • Cancellation: ticket holders are entitled to a full refund. 

Seating

The Theatre Royal has one auditorium, with Stalls on the ground floor, and the Dress Circle on the second floor, with no elevator access. Occasionally the Royal Boxes are made available to the public for special VIP hire. This can be arranged through the Box Office.

Most shows have allocated seating, meaning you can choose your seat(s) at the time of purchase. Some shows are General Admission (GA) which means it's first in, best seated. Come early for a GA show so you have a better chance of good seats. 

Accessibility

There is one accessible car park in front of the Theatre.

In the Stalls on the ground floor, there are three wheelchair positions, located at the end of rows A and H, each next to a theatre seat for an accompanying person. These seats can only be booked through the Box Office.

There are two accessible toilets in the foyer, one of which is a gender neutral/family bathroom and includes a nappy changing table.

There is no elevator to the Dress Circle on the 2nd floor.

The Listen Everywhere Hearing System is active during all events. A free downloadable app called Listen Everywhere will connect your smartphone to our PA system via our free WiFi called Hearing Assistance - Downstairs/Upstairs. No password is required for the WiFi.

If you wish to use the Listen Everywhere system, please allow enough time for us to assist you. Preferably come into the Theatre at a time when a show isn't about to start. 

We have limited free smart devices and headsets available upon request. Please let our Front of House Manager know you are interested.

Toilets

There are two gendered toilet blocks on the ground floor plus one gender neutral/family bathroom with a nappy changing table. The toilets are located on either side of the bar.

ATAMIRA 
STAGE

Stalls
Papa o raro
Ground floor
Dress Circle
Papa tuarua
Second floor
(no elevator access)
See larger Seating Plan
plus view from some seats

On time

The times indicated on our website and your ticket is when the show commences, so please make sure you get to the Theatre at least 15 minutes before this. Keep in mind that you will need to find a parking space, which can be an issue for Saturday matinees. The bar can be busy just before the show, and we aim to start on time.

Some shows have a lock out, so if you are late you may not be let into the auditorium until there is an appropriate moment in the show.

Children

The Theatre Royal reserves the right to refuse entry to unaccompanied children under 12.

Children need a seat, even though they may end up on your lap. There is an exception for babes in arms (up to 1 year old).

A limited number of booster seats are available. Feel free to bring your own booster seats or cushions for children in your party.

Cameras/phones

In general, no photos or videos are allowed during shows, unless stated otherwise.

We kindly ask all audience members to switch off their phones and refrain from texting during a performance, as this disturbs other audience members. It can also be incredibly distracting and potentially dangerous for performers.

Parking

There is one accessible car park in front of the Theatre.

You may find some parking along Rutherford Street.

The Montgomery carpark is just across the road and around the corner, no more than a 5 minute walk away. 

Please note that Montgomery carpark is used for markets in the weekend so is not available for matinee audiences.

Our Bar

The bar is open from an hour before a show and in the interval. 

We sell locally produced wines, beers, ciders and non-alcoholic drinks, and have an assortment of sweet and savoury snacks as well as ice creams.

Drinks and snacks can be consumed in the auditorium.

Please note that the bar closes 5 minutes before the start of the show.

We do not allow any food or beverages purchased elsewhere to be consumed in the Theatre.
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