Dolby Theatre
The Dolby Theatre is a premier live-performance auditorium on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, best known worldwide as the home of the Academy Awards ceremony since its opening in 2001. Seating 3,332 guests, it is designed for the scale and spectacle of major award shows, concerts and theatrical productions, with state-of-the-art acoustics and retractable seating systems. The theatre sits at the heart of the Ovation Hollywood entertainment complex, flanked by the TCL Chinese Theatre and opposite the El Capitan Theatre, making it a centrepiece of Hollywood’s historic cultural district.
At a glance
- Type
- Live-performance auditorium / awards venue
- Period
- Opened 9 November 2001
- Style
- Contemporary entertainment architecture; David Rockwell interior design
- Location
- 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
- Coordinates
- 34.1027° N, 118.3405° W
Overview
The Dolby Theatre is a live-performance auditorium in the Ovation Hollywood shopping mall and entertainment complex, situated at the junction of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in the Hollywood neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Since its opening on 9 November 2001, it has served as the permanent home of the annual Academy Awards ceremony, the world’s most watched entertainment industry event. The venue is adjacent to the TCL Chinese Theatre and across the boulevard from the El Capitan Theatre, anchoring a cluster of landmark Hollywood entertainment sites.
History
The theatre was built as part of the Hollywood and Highland mixed-use development, a major urban renewal project designed to revitalise the Hollywood Boulevard corridor. It was originally named the Kodak Theatre at its 2001 opening, reflecting a naming-rights agreement with the film and photography company. The venue was renamed the Hollywood and Highland Center Theater in 2012 following Kodak’s bankruptcy, and then became the Dolby Theatre in May 2012 after a new naming-rights deal with Dolby Laboratories. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences moved the Oscars ceremony here from the Shrine Auditorium, making it the first purpose-built permanent home for the ceremony since the Academy Awards began in 1929.
What you see
The auditorium seats 3,332 guests across orchestra, mezzanine and balcony levels, with flexible retractable seating that can be configured for different productions. The interior, designed by David Rockwell, features warm wood panelling, gilt detailing and dramatic sweeping balconies that evoke classic Hollywood glamour while incorporating contemporary acoustic engineering. Visitors on guided tours can view the Oscar-night stage, the Governor’s Ball event space, and walk the route taken by nominees on the red carpet that extends from the street-level entrance.
Cultural significance
As the permanent home of the Academy Awards, the Dolby Theatre has become one of the most recognised entertainment venues on earth, broadcast annually to audiences in excess of 30 million viewers in the United States and over 200 countries. The theatre represents the enduring global influence of Hollywood and the film industry on cultural production and popular imagination.
Practical information
- Address
- 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
- Hours
- Tours available most days; check official website for current schedule and ticket prices.
- Website
- dolbytheatre.com
Getting there
The Dolby Theatre is served directly by the Hollywood/Highland station on the Metro B (Red) Line, which connects to downtown Los Angeles and Union Station in approximately twenty minutes. Multiple bus routes serve Hollywood Boulevard. Parking is available in the adjacent Ovation Hollywood structure. The venue is an eight-minute walk from the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s most concentrated section.
Sources & resources
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