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

Built as a Canadian Centennial project to mark the nation's 100th anniversary and to spur urban renewal in Winnipeg's Point Douglas area, Centennial Concert Hall opened on March 25, 1968. The 2,305-seat venue at 555 Main Street is the performing home of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the Manitoba Opera, and in a typical year the symphony alone plays more than 80 concerts to approximately 100,000 audience members. The hall was designed by a consortium of Winnipeg architectural firms -- Green, Blankstein, Russell Associates; Moody, Moore, Whenham and Partners; and Smith, Carter, Searle Associates -- with theatre consultant George Izenour and acoustic engineering by Bolt, Beranek and Newman of New York. At the time of construction, the acoustics were considered the finest of any such theatre in North America. The proscenium stage measures 24 metres wide, 12 metres deep, and over 33 metres tall, large enough to accommodate a full orchestra and a choir of 700. Seating follows a continental arrangement with no centre aisles and no view-obstructing columns, spread across a large orchestra level, two balconies, and two loges, all clad in white stucco. The lobby and corridors are carpeted in deep red and lined with undulating chestnut-toned wood walls holding curved entry portals. Artist Greta Dale's mural greets visitors in the lobby, and two murals by Tony Tascona are featured on the orchestra level. Part of the Manitoba Centennial Centre and connected to the Manitoba Museum, the concert hall is owned by the Province of Manitoba and operated by the Manitoba Centennial Centre Corporation. Beyond classical programming, the venue hosts country, rock, jazz, and Broadway musicals. Canadian artists who have appeared on its stage include Stompin' Tom Connors, Sarah McLachlan, Tegan and Sara, The Tragically Hip, and Drake.