May 5, 2026
Manitoba Invests $15 Million to Transform Historic Pantages Playhouse Theatre into a Performing Arts Centre
– – –Funding Supports Exchange District Revitalization and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's Future Home: Kinew
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The Manitoba government is investing $15 million to support the restoration and renovation of the Pantages Playhouse Theatre, a national historic building in downtown Winnipeg, Premier Wab Kinew and Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Minister Nellie Kennedy announced today.
“Pantages has stood at the heart of Winnipeg for generations and this investment is about making sure it stands for generations more,” said Kinew. “When we restore a building like this, we’re not just preserving bricks and mortar. We’re investing in the artists, the educators and the communities who will fill it with life. That’s good for downtown Winnipeg and good for the whole province.”
The project, a collaboration between the Performing Arts Consortium of Winnipeg (PAC) and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), will transform the Exchange District landmark into a permanent rehearsal, performance, educational and administrative home for the WSO, while also serving community cultural groups and other professional performers.
“The Pantages Playhouse is one of the most recognizable buildings in the Exchange District and its restoration will anchor that neighbourhood as a genuine destination for arts and culture,” said Kennedy. “This investment is about creating a shared cultural space that serves the full range of artists and community groups who will call it home and contributes to the vitality of downtown Winnipeg.”
Designed by Number TEN Architectural Group, the renewed Pantages Playhouse Arts Centre (PPAC) is conceived as a music-first environment, one where acoustics, sightlines and proximity to performers are foundational, not secondary. Renovations will include stage upgrades for orchestral and performing arts use, modern acoustic systems with digital capability, wider seating for improved audience comfort, updated backstage facilities for a broader range of users and new administrative offices for the WSO. The work will restore the venue’s heritage elements while meeting the demands of contemporary performance.
“This project has multiple objectives that build benefits to our community,” said Curt Vossen, board chair, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. “It restores a beloved heritage theatre to the community in a modern, functional and sustainable format. It reanimates a presently abandoned corner of our community by bringing thousands of people downtown for a purpose every year. Most importantly, it creates a venue of a size and capability that fills a present gap in our arts sector and enhances the business model of foundational arts organizations including the WSO.”
The PPAC is envisioned as an appropriately sized, acoustically refined venue suited to orchestral concerts and other genres including jazz and acoustic performances. The Manitoba government’s investment reflects its commitment to strengthening community infrastructure and supporting organizations that foster vibrant, inclusive and healthy communities, the minister noted.
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