Black and white: from the stage the audience is full on all 4 levels

Our Story

History lives here 

For over a century, Buxton Opera House has stood as a beacon of performance, passion, and resilience. The Pavilion Arts Centre is Buxton’s oldest surviving theatre. Together, these well-loved venues are at the heart of Buxton’s vibrant arts scene.

The Pavilion Arts Centre has been part of Buxton’s cultural life since it first opened as the Entertainment Stage in 1889. Designed by local architect William Radford Bryden for the Buxton Gardens Company, it has served many roles over the years, from a theatre to a silent cinema and back again.

Throughout its history, the venue has had several names:

  • The Hippodrome (from 1903)
  • The Playhouse (from 1932)
  • The Paxton Suite (from 1979)

Each name marks a new chapter in its story. In 2010, it was redeveloped and renamed the Pavilion Arts Centre, now managed by the High Peak Theatre Trust, alongside Buxton Opera House.

Next door, Buxton Opera House opened in 1903, designed by the famous theatre architect Frank Matcham. Its opening night featured a specially written prologue and a programme of plays, Shakespeare, ballet, and touring West End shows in the years that followed. 

In 1925, Hollywood stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks joined the audience to see Anna Pavlova perform her haunting Dying Swan.

As times changed, the Opera House adapted and became a cinema in 1927 during the golden age of film. But by the 1970s, it had fallen silent. Thanks to a passionate local campaign, supported by poet John Betjeman, the theatre was restored and reopened in 1979. This marked the beginning of the Buxton International Festival, which continues to thrive today.

Image gallery

  • Black and white: building with large hippodrome sign cross the top, above the door reads a second signs saying "dancing mothers"
  • Black and white: Exterior of the opera house with early 1900's cars parked out side
  • Copy of a programme from 1903 in the centre a picture of a woman in a black dress and feather in her hair
  • Black and white: from the stage the audience is full on all 4 levels
  • Black and white: staff of opera house posed outside the front steps
  • Black and white: % people stand out side the front of the opera house, the balcony above the entrance can be seen above them

Since the restoration, Buxton Opera House has gone from strength to strength. We've welcomed royal visitors, won national awards, and celebrated the opening of the Pavilion Arts Centre in 2010.

Even during the pandemic, Buxton Opera House stayed active and creative, thanks to support from Arts Council England.

In 2023, we were recognised as a National Portfolio Organisation, highlighting our growing work in education and community engagement. This includes national awards for early years education and developing the creative workforce.

With major new funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (2025), we’re building a bold future for generations to come.

Together, we’re creating a living legacy where history, community, and creativity all take centre stage.

Image gallery

  • decorator on ladder applies gold leaf to moulding in a corner
  • King Charles and Queen Camilla dressed in black tie listening to a man speaking to them
  • Exterioir of the pavilion gardens entrance, a glass canopy above the door
  • Six members of staff pose with a plaque
  • Large crowd of people surround the opera house entrance, bunting lines the street in front
  • Front steps outside the theatre hold three large balloons reading one hundred and twenty
  • Two members of staff accept and award on stage from a woman in a striped suit.
  • 4 people pose with an award

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