We recently announced a significant investment from the province of Ontario of $35M to support the rebuilding of the theatre. While there is still significantly more to raise, this important commitment from the province has enabled us to finalize the plans and designs for a new building \u2013 one which we envision continuing to homage a Georgian-style theatre, but with the needs, requirements and values of the coming century integrated into the design.<\/p>\n
As such, the transformed Royal George is inspired by the heritage character of Queen Street, with a goal to be North America\u2019s first carbon neutral and Rick Hansen Gold Certified performing arts centre, offering unparalleled levels of accessibility. This will require a larger footprint but will ensure we can continue to deliver the style of classic theatre on which our reputation rests, in ways that will meet the needs of the audiences and workers of tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Please enjoy this last season of the current Royal George with us! We will keep you updated as we continue to work towards a rebirth worthy of its history, and worthy of our future.<\/p>\n
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CURRENT ARTIST RENDERINGS \u2013 Fall 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n The following artist renderings created by Unity Design Studio give an impression of what the future Royal George could look like.<\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n February 3, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n As we plan for the next phase of the Royal George rebuild, we want to provide you with an update and share our anticipated next steps.<\/p>\n Click below for an update:<\/p>\n ROYAL GEORGE UPDATE \u2013 CONSTRUCTION COMMUNICATIONS<\/a><\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n Farewell to the Royal George Theatre<\/b><\/p>\n The Shaw Festival is inviting patrons, neighbours, artists, staff and friends to gather for a heartfelt farewell to the Royal George Theatre. On January 31,\u00a0<\/b>the community is welcome to drop in for one final visit before the Royal George closes its doors and begins its transformation. Guests are encouraged to take a casual last stroll through the building and reminisce about the stories that have unfolded within its walls. During the free community drop-in, visitors will be able to explore the lobby, auditorium, bar and box office and share their Royal George memories in a farewell guest book that will be displayed in the new theatre.<\/p>\n Saturday, January 31<\/b><\/p>\n Drop in anytime between 1\u20134 PM<\/p>\n Royal George Theatre – 85 Queen Street<\/p>\n Admission is FREE<\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n November 20, 2025<\/b><\/p>\n On November 18th, Town Council approved the staff recommendation report with an amendment directing Town staff to update the applicable Zoning By-laws to reflect the proposed changes and return with the Official Plan Amendment and revised by-law to the next possible Council meeting.<\/p>\n Click below for an update:<\/p>\n ROYAL GEORGE UPDATE \u2013 BY-LAW & ZONING<\/a><\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n August 27, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n On August 22, The Shaw hosted a Virtual Community Update to share more details about our progress for the new Royal George. See the latest artist renderings below of the Queen Street fa\u00e7ade, courtyard and views on Victoria Street.<\/span><\/p>\n To view a recording of the update, CLICK HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n Click below for a recap of the timeline and some FAQs:<\/p>\n ROYAL GEORGE UPDATE \u2013 COMMUNITY UPDATE\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n August 12, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ve been listening and as a result of your feedback we have made meaningful changes to the proposed new Royal George Theatre.<\/p>\n Click below to read about some of the feedback-driven changes that were submitted when we re-filed out zoning and heritage impact assessment.<\/p>\n ROYAL GEORGE UPDATE – DESIGN UPDATES<\/a><\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n August 6 & 7, 2025<\/b><\/p>\n On August 6 & 7 The Shaw hosted a Virtual Community Consultation Open House. Over 45 people attended the sessions. We thank everyone who joined us, and we appreciate your feedback.<\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n August 5, 2025<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you for all the suggestions, questions, survey responses and comment cards that we have received from our Community Consultation around the Royal George rebuild. We have been working to review every response.<\/span><\/p>\n Click below for insights into a few of the top priorities coming from this Consultation process that are informing our designs and next steps.<\/span><\/p>\n ROYAL GEORGE UPDATE \u2013 PRIORITIES & NEXT STEPS<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n July 16, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n On July 16, 2025, The Shaw hosted a Community Consultation Open House to hear questions and feedback from the community about the plans for the new Royal George. Approximately 90 attendees toured the site in small groups, in a way that that encouraged direct dialogue with every attendee.<\/p>\n Click below for a summary of some of the questions posed during the Open House tours \u2013 and the answers Shaw provided.<\/p>\n COMMUNITY CONSULTATION OPEN HOUSE QUESTION & ANSWER<\/a><\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n Spring\/Summer 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n In late May, the Shaw Festival submitted a zoning by-law application and property amalgamation application to the NOTL town planning department to facilitate the future redevelopment of the Royal George Theatre. A link to the complete application package can be found on the NOTL website<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.shawfest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/RG_Render_Queen-Street-Courtyard-450x253.png\")
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<\/p>\nROYAL GEORGE UPDATES<\/strong><\/h2>\n