Overview
Our campus is a living, breathing, academic environment for creativity – it's where you'll make amazing things happen
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Our Campus
This is AUB. A place to shape and build your work; to learn, share, provoke and collaborate.
The Palace Court Theatre is a 1930s Art Deco building, situated in Bournemouth town centre. Owned by Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) since 2021, it's being reactivated as a civic venue for educational and cultural engagement.
Substantial refurbishment has already been undertaken at the theatre and will continue as AUB creates a space in Bournemouth town centre for students and the community to enjoy creativity and connection.
In 2024, for the first time in 40 years, the venue hosted a full programme of educational and cultural events.
AUB’s purchase of the Palace Court Theatre forms part of our civic ambitions, to support the development of the creative industries and the regeneration of Bournemouth’s town centre through educational and cultural activity.
The theatre will be used as a teaching, learning, research, and innovation resource, and as a venue for local artists to develop new ideas.
We welcome local creatives and the public to join us in continuing to redevelop the theatre, to offer support and sponsorship, and embark on a programme of imaginative adventures, to fully reactivate this beautiful 1930s playhouse.
Booking tickets
The Palace Court Theatre is used for a variety of events. To book tickets, please go to the individual event page in the What’s On section. From here, you'll find a link to the ticket booking page for that event. Every member of the audience must be in possession of a valid ticket to gain entry to the theatre. The seats are non-allocated.
Ticket policy
Once purchased, tickets can't be exchanged or refunded. All customers aged 14 years or below must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or over. Some performances may have different age restrictions. It's the responsibility of the ticket-holder to check any restrictions before they purchase tickets.
Every effort to admit latecomers will be made at a suitable break in the event, but admission can't always be guaranteed.
House opening
Please check individual events for information on what time the house will be open to the public.
Accessibility
We're working on making the venue more accessible. There are currently no lifts in the building, so accessibility across the building is limited. There are three steps from the street to the theatre entrance. A moveable ramp is available to use on these steps. Please let us know in advance if you need to use this.
Access to the main auditorium is on a level with the foyer. There's seating available with extra legroom and two wheelchair spaces. Please advise when booking tickets if you require these spaces. There's one accessible toilet located in the foyer. Access is via one flight of stairs. There's a stairlift available for use, with which you may require assistance if you're a wheelchair user.
Access to the backstage areas and the clubroom is via a series of steps.
Please note, it's also important that you make us aware prior to an event that you have an accessibility need, so that we can arrange a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan for you.
Toilet Facilities
The main toilets are accessed via a series of stairs from the Foyer. There's one accessible toilet available in the foyer area.
Front of House
Whilst the theatre is under development, please be aware that the space can be cold.
AUB and Palace Court Theatre are cashless sites, payments for refreshments and tickets can only be made by card or contactless payment. There's currently no bar area, but refreshments will be served from the auditorium area.
Travel
Palace Court Theatre is in the centre of Bournemouth on Hinton Road.
Get a taste of Palace Court Theatre's shows and events, past and present, in these videos and photos.
Palace Court Theatre
Hinton Road, Bournemouth
Dorset
BH1 2EN
United Kingdom
Find the Palace Court Theatre: what3words: ///steep.turns.keep
If you're interested in some of AUB's most recent events and productions at Palace Court Theatre, take a look through our archive of past shows.