The Civic

The Civic

269 – 287 Queen Street, Corner Queen Street & Wellesley Street, Auckland

09 309 2677

Get Directions
Visitor InformationAbout the Venue

Visitor Information

Opening hours:

Covid-19 Alert Level 3: From Sun 28 February The Civic is closed until further notice. Please refer to the Ministry of Health’s Level 3 guidelines.

 

Take the virtual tour  TAKE THE ACCESSIBILITY VIRTUAL TOUR

Practical info

You'll find The Civic on the corner of Queen Street and Wellesley Street. 

The Civic Box Office is to the right of the main entrance (on the corner of Queen Street and Wellesley Street) as you come into the building. It opens 90 minutes before the start of performances.

The Civic is a 2,379 seat theatre. Download the seating map, or take a 3D tour of the theatre.

Visit our Tickets and Seating page for more information.

The Civic Car Park is a short walk from The Civic, making it a great option for attending shows there. It is important, however, to remember that sometimes all our venues are filled with events. Make sure you have a backup parking plan — or book a space in advance.

Visit our Parking and Transport page for more information.

You can enjoy a pre-show drink in the theatre bar, or for something a bit more substantial, visit Stark’s Café and Bar. Stark’s offers special show-themed cocktails, as well as Caffe L’Affare coffee, tea, and cold drinks. If you’re headed to The Civic for a matinee, you can also enjoy cabinet food such as filled baguettes, croissants, and bagels. It’s a great place to visit for a  showtime treat.

Visit our Eating and Drinking page for more information.

Smoking and the use of e-cigarettes in this venue are prohibited.

Reduced Mobility

All Auckland Live venues can be accessed by wheelchairs and have lifts and ramps to assist those who have difficulty climbing stairs. 

To book wheelchair seats for shows in our venues please contact Ticketmaster on tel: 09 970 9711   Please note this is not a general sales line.   Be sure to specifically request wheelchair seats.

Companion seats are available for those booking wheelchair spaces.

We have two courtesy wheelchairs available at the venue if you or someone you’re coming with has mobility needs. 
You can book one of these by calling Ticketmaster at 0800 111 999.

The Civic lift

The Civic was built in 1929 and while it’s a gorgeous building, we know that the foyer spaces can be a bit of a maze. There is a lift available, but it can be difficult to find. We suggest you ask one of our team to show you where it is located as soon as you arrive. They'll be more than happy to help!

Visually impaired

For every show, visually impaired patrons can call Ticketmaster at 09 970 9745 any time before 5 pm on the day of the show and they will make sure the front of house team is aware of your needs in advance. 

Guide dogs are welcome at our venues.

Deaf or hard of hearing

We have a hearing aid loop available for all shows. To connect to the hearing loop, switch your hearing aids to ‘tele’.

Contact Ticketmaster at 09 970 9700 for advice on the best seats to use it in.

Visit our Accessibility page for more information.

The Civic Accessibility Virtual Tour

Take the accessibility virtual tour

https://rfacdn.nz/live/assets/media/be-welcome-web-sticker-silver_mediumThumb.jpg

Auckland Live Café

Auckland Transport City Carpark Availability

The Civic
Available spaces
...
Click here for more info on The Civic car park
Downtown
Available spaces
...
Click here for more info on Downtown car park
Victoria St
Available spaces
...
Click here for more info on Victoria St car park
Last updated at ... Please note: During peak times availability can change quickly, please allow plenty of time to find a carpark.
For all public transport and carparking information, please visit Auckland Transport.

On at The Civic

About the Venue

The first purpose-built cinema for 'talkies' in the country, The Civic is a much-loved Auckland landmark and entertainment venue. Built in 1929, The Civic is an outstanding example of the ‘atmospheric cinema’ architecture style, with a unique soft-top ceiling design that floats above the auditorium, allowing the famed stars and clouds effect that is a recreation of the Southern Hemisphere night sky.

Download a PDF copy and learn the fascinating story of The Civic's star-studded history.

Or take a Civic Tour!

Take Virtual Tour

Also within The Civic

Take a tour of The Civic

About The Civic

The Civic is a Category One-classified protected building and is New Zealand’s premier lyric theatre with 2379 seats split across two levels.

The Civic, one of the few remaining 'atmospheric' theatres in the Southern Hemisphere, was built in 1929 in just eight months. It was specifically designed as a 'movie palace' for talking pictures ('talkies'), which had just been introduced to New Zealand. It was the first purpose-built cinema of this type in the country, and today is a much-loved Auckland landmark and entertainment venue.

The Civic was - and is - an outstanding example of the ‘atmospheric cinema’ genre, with a unique soft-top ceiling design that floats above the auditorium, allowing the famed stars and clouds effect that is a recreation of the Southern Hemisphere night sky. Look up at the start of a show and see if you can spot the shooting star!

The rich and opulent Rococo-style interior reflects an Indian rock-hewn temple, and Indian motifs abound. In the public foyer, these include seated Buddhas, twisted columns and domed ceilings – and many elephants. The main auditorium features Moorish turrets, minarets, spires, tiled roofs, and Abyssinian panther statues - often mistakenly referred to as lions – with their glowing green eyes, have all been faithfully restored to their former glory. 

The Civic has had a somewhat turbulent history, but was restored to its former glory in the late 1990s by Auckland City Council, and reopened in December 1999 after a two-year, $42 million restoration. The restoration provided the opportunity to convert the venue to live theatre capacity and upgrade it to modern movie technology. As a result, The Civic has become a popular venue for major touring shows, while once again providing Auckland’s most sumptuous cinema experience.

The Civic is considered the home of musicals in New Zealand.

Alongside acclaimed touring musicals such as Jersey Boys, Mary Poppins, Matilda the Musical,  Disney’s Aladdin the Musical, and The Book of Mormon, The Civic has hosted leading international singers and entertainers including  Bob Dylan, Roberta Flack, Elaine Page, The Rolling Stones, Mavis Staples, Nick Cave, Sufjan Stevens, and Sir David Attenborough  as well as the annual NZ International Film Festival.

Visit the Friends of The Civic Trust and their Facebook page, which features a colourful showcase of the space and its stories, including the short film The Mighty Civic.

 

https://rfacdn.nz/live/assets/media/the-civic-accessibility-virtual-tour-auckland-live-920x200-compressed.jpg

 

The Civic is rated Silver for accessibility by Be.Accessible.

https://rfacdn.nz/live/assets/media/be-welcome-web-sticker-silver_mediumThumb.jpg

Hire this Venue

The Civic

The Civic contains two stunning and versatile performance spaces – The Civic auditorium and the Wintergarden. 

The Civic is one of Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau's most iconic venues. It is Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier lyric theatre and one of the few remaining 'atmospheric' theatres in the world, with 2,379 seats on two levels. 

It has been fully restored to its former Rococo glory and has a modernised stage, world-class backstage facilities, and a state-of-the-art digital projection system, as well as one of New Zealand's largest cinema screens.

The Civic is a versatile venue and is regularly used for large-scale musicals, theatre productions, and concerts of all types; product launches, corporate functions, banquets and film shoots. In demand during both the NZ International Film Festival and the Auckland Arts Festival, its primary use is for long-run seasons of shows at Auckland Live.   

The Civic theatre information

Download The Civic theatre seating map here
 

Wintergarden, The Civic

Wintergarden is a versatile and flexible performance and  function space with a maximum capacity of 700 on one level.

Its architecture compliments the design and grandeur of The Civic and with no fixed stage or seating layout, Wintergarden can easily be configured for concert, theatre, cabaret or café style seating. 

With such versatility, the venue is used for a wide range of events including intimate music gigs, cabaret shows, talks, dance parties, cocktail functions and opening night events.  The space can accommodate seated concerts up to 500, and standing up to 700.. 

It is important to note that it can only be used when there is not a performance in progress in The Civic.

Wintergarden informatiion

Preview the Wintergarden here

Venue Hiring Costs

Venue hire fees and associated service costs and/or rental inclusions, vary depending on the venue and the type of production/show. Please contact us with a brief description of your event for pricing information.

Contact Us

Email us at bookings@aucklandlive.co.nz and one of our experienced team will be in contact with you to discuss The Civic or Wintergarden and provide full specifications, pricing and any other information you will need to know in order to hire this space.