Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 10/07/2026 04:03:00

One of the oldest commercially active properties in Tennessee, the Bijou Theatre at 803 South Gay Street in downtown Knoxville traces its origins to the Lamar House, a Federal-style hotel built on this site around 1817 on land once granted to Revolutionary War general James White. In 1908, the Auditorium Company purchased the property and constructed a theatre wing behind the hotel, opening Jake Wells' Bijou Theatre on 8 March 1909 with a sellout production of George M. Cohan's Little Johnny Jones. Vaudeville dominated the stage from 1913 to 1926, when competition from the new Tennessee Theatre up the street forced a pivot to motion pictures. By the 1960s the Bijou had become an adult film house, operating under that model until 1975, when preservationists from Knox Heritage rallied to save the building from demolition. A major renovation beginning in 2005 restored the 757-seat auditorium to its original Classical Revival elegance -- Corinthian columns, reclining muse pediments, grape-and-vine motifs on the boxes and balconies -- while modernising acoustics, lighting, and backstage infrastructure. The New York Times has called the Bijou "one of the best sounding rooms in this country," and the intimate scale ensures clear sightlines from every seat in the orchestra, loggia, box, and balcony levels. The theatre is operated by AC Entertainment and managed by the Bijou Theatre Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Over 160 public events and 90,000 visitors pass through annually. Past performers include Joan Baez, The Ramones, St. Vincent, Public Enemy, Richard Thompson, Bob Weir, and Aziz Ansari. The Bijou sits in the heart of Knoxville's Gay Street arts and entertainment corridor, surrounded by restaurants, bars, and within walking distance of Market Square and the Old City neighbourhood. Tickets are available through knoxbijou.org.