CrowdMatePhiladelphia · Venue
Theater of Living Arts
Theatre of Living Arts is Philadelphia’s 800-capacity South Street room, bringing touring acts into a building that began as the Crystal Palace nickelodeon in 1908. Its distinction
- Upcoming shows
- 35
- Capacity
- 800
- Address
- 334 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
- Phone
- (215) 922-1011
- Next show
- Sat, 3 Oct 2026
About Theater of Living Arts
Theatre of Living Arts is Philadelphia’s 800-capacity South Street room, bringing touring acts into a building that began as the Crystal Palace nickelodeon in 1908. Its distinction lies in the time span inside the same walls: a former cinema and regional theatre now carries a busy multi-genre concert calendar. Pop, hip-hop, electronic, R&B, rock, metal, indie and alternative bills all appear in current programming.
A stage, a screen, then a club
The initials trace to 1959, when Celia Silverman and Jean Goldman formed the Philadelphia Council for the Performing Arts to create a resident theatre company. The council acquired the then-struggling New Palace movie house in 1964 and converted it into the Theatre of the Living Arts, with architect Frank Weise shaping a 431-seat auditorium around a thrust stage. Archive records preserve the council’s founding material, building-repair files, performance programs and film-festival documents from that era. Repertory cinema later filled the room’s screen, until TLA Entertainment Group sold the building to Electric Factory Concerts’ Allan Spivak in September 1987. A fast renovation opened with Lady Day on October 21, 1987; by 1988, the room had moved into full-time concert presentation.
The room now
Expect a largely general-admission, standing-floor experience, with a dedicated ADA section, ramp access and accessible first-floor facilities. The balcony requires stairs, making the floor the practical choice for direct stage access and the simplest sightline. Touring music drives the calendar, alongside occasional comedy, themed dance events and tribute shows; age rules vary by listing. Bars carry beer, wine, spirits and nonalcoholic drinks, while concessions cover popcorn, pretzels, chips and candy. For a show built around crowd energy, arrive early and claim a floor position.
Sources
- Plan Your Visit: Parking, Amenities, Policies & FAQs — Theatre of Living Arts
- Theatre of Living Arts Tickets & Schedule — Theatre of Living Arts
- Theatre of Living Arts: Multi-Use Venue for Private Events in Philadelphia — Theatre of Living Arts
- Theatre of the Living Arts of Philadelphia records — Philadelphia Area Archives, University of Pennsylvania
- Theatre of Living Arts — Wikipedia
- Iconic Philadelphia, PA Venue - Theatre of Living Arts — Ticketmaster Blog
Next 15 shows
- Sat, 3 Oct 2026 · 19:30 INOHA View in the CrowdMate app
- Sun, 4 Oct 2026 · 20:00 The Linda Lindas View in the CrowdMate app
- Tue, 6 Oct 2026 · 20:00 Medium Build Presents The King of Having Fun on Tour View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 10 Oct 2026 · 20:00 Mr. Fantasy View in the CrowdMate app
- Sun, 11 Oct 2026 · 20:00 Kelela View in the CrowdMate app
- Wed, 14 Oct 2026 · 20:00 Ryan Beatty View in the CrowdMate app
- Fri, 16 Oct 2026 · 19:30 Wind Walkers View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 17 Oct 2026 · 20:00 Scenic and Nikki Lopez Present: Screeching Weasel + The Queers View in the CrowdMate app
- Sun, 18 Oct 2026 · 19:00 JOSH THOMAS: JIGGLE + JIGGLE View in the CrowdMate app
- Wed, 21 Oct 2026 · 20:00 EMEI View in the CrowdMate app
- Thu, 22 Oct 2026 · 20:00 Skilla Baby View in the CrowdMate app
- Fri, 23 Oct 2026 · 20:00 TOURE HOOD POETRY 2 LIVE IN CONCERT View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 24 Oct 2026 · 20:00 HEY + NOTHING View in the CrowdMate app
- Mon, 26 Oct 2026 · 18:00 Arch Enemy + The Black Dahlia Murder: Wrath Across North America 2026 View in the CrowdMate app
- Wed, 28 Oct 2026 · 22:15 Nice As F*#k - Back As F**k Nice As Ever View in the CrowdMate app
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