The Georgia Theatre is a historic live music venue in downtown Athens, Georgia, occupying a building whose roots trace back to 1889 when the city’s YMCA was constructed on the site. After decades as a basketball venue, music store, and movie house (the Elite Theater, opened 1935), the space was converted into a concert hall and opened as the Georgia Theatre in January 1978, with the Macon jam band Sea Level playing the inaugural show on January 11, 1978.
Since then, the venue has become a cornerstone of Athens’ famed music scene, hosting countless touring artists including local favorites Widespread Panic and Drive-By Truckers. A devastating fire in June 2009 collapsed the roof and gutted the interior, but a community-driven rebuilding effort, aided by a benefit concert from Zac Brown Band, brought the theatre back. It reopened on August 1, 2011, and remains one of the city’s premier concert stages today.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Athens, Georgia
- Type: Live music venue
- Opened: January 1978 (rebuilt and reopened 2011)
- Capacity: About 1,000 (roughly 1,028)
- Famous for: Surviving a 2009 fire and reopening as an Athens music landmark
A Building With a Long History
The site at 215 N. Lumpkin Street has served Athens since 1889, first as the city’s YMCA and home to the University of Georgia basketball team in the early 1900s, later becoming the Elite Theater movie house in 1935. The building was converted into a concert hall in 1977, and the Georgia Theatre opened as a music venue in January 1978, with Sea Level, a Macon-based group that had grown out of the Allman Brothers Band, performing the first show on January 11, 1978.
Fire, Rebuilding, and Revival
On June 19, 2009, a major fire tore through the Georgia Theatre, collapsing its roof and causing extensive damage. Rather than let the venue disappear, owners and the Athens community rallied around a restoration campaign, bolstered by a benefit concert from Zac Brown Band. The rebuilt theatre reopened on August 1, 2011, and continues to operate today as one of Athens’ premier stages for touring national and regional acts.
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Georgia Theatre FAQs
When did the Georgia Theatre open?
It opened as a music venue in January 1978, with the Macon band Sea Level playing the first concert on January 11, 1978. The building itself dates back to 1889 and previously housed a YMCA and the Elite Theater movie house from 1935.
What happened to the Georgia Theatre in 2009?
A major fire on June 19, 2009 collapsed the roof and severely damaged the building. It was rebuilt with community support and reopened on August 1, 2011.
What is the capacity of the Georgia Theatre?
The venue holds roughly 1,000 people (about 1,028), an increase from its original capacity before the fire and rebuild.
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Photo: BullDawg2021 / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.