The New Athenaeum Theatre is our main performance theatre and seats an audience of 344 people.

Throughout the year, we stage a range of performances at ‘the Ath’, from our showcase dramatic productions to high profile operas. We also regularly host talks from our professional partners such as the National Theatre of Scotland, BBC Scotland, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

We were the first educational establishment in the UK to offer Stage Automation Training as part of our curriculum and alongside our original Stage Technologies flying system we now have a portable Kinesys system that can be used in any venue. Beside the theatre are the scene dock and technical stores, housing a range of industry-standard lighting and sound equipment.

A trip to ‘the Ath’ is a regular experience for our students, whether they’re treading the boards on stage or working behind the scenes, managing all aspects of technical production.

The Athenaeum name is a nod to our heritage, as we were known as the Glasgow Athenaeum in 1847, when we were based at the Assembly Rooms in Ingram Street. Then in the 1890s, our first Athenaeum Theatre was opened on Buchanan Street. It is now a restaurant and bar – the Hard Rock Cafe.

Explore the New Athenaeum Theatre in our virtual tour and visit our Box Office to get a ticket for an upcoming performance.