Last updated November 2026
Look up in the foyer of the War Memorial Theatre and you will see a ceiling of poppies, a quiet reminder that this Bright Street building is a war memorial as well as a stage.
Gisborne District Council owns and runs the theatre, which seats 500 people across the stalls and a circle. It began as the war memorial buildings of Gisborne and District, with a public hall alongside clubrooms for the Returned Services Association.
The hall later became a theatre and has since been rebuilt into a modern venue with a fly tower and an orchestra pit. Shows are listed by Gisborne Theatres, the council’s venue service, and the foyer can be booked for functions and events.
Practical Information
- Address
- 159 Bright Street, Gisborne
- Owned and managed by
- Gisborne District Council (Gisborne Theatres)
- Seating
- 500 seats: 362 in the stalls and 138 in the circle
- Entry
- Ticketed by show; see the Gisborne Theatres website for what’s on
- Functions
- The foyer can be booked for functions and events through Gisborne Theatres
- Access
- Gisborne Theatres describes the venue as fully wheelchair accessible
- Status
- Check the Gisborne Theatres website before you go.
About War Memorial Theatre
The building was Gisborne and District’s war memorial before it was a theatre. Shortly before it opened, Gisborne Photo News described a new war memorial building on the corner of Childers Road and Bright Street, with quarters for the Returned Services Association and a public hall suited to concerts, stage presentations and balls.
NZHistory records that the complex took in an auditorium, offices and a supper room, with the RSA clubrooms next door. Gisborne Theatres and the Sunrise Foundation both describe the hall as a dance hall when it first opened, which fits the balls the Photo News expected it to hold.
Sir Harold Barrowclough dedicated and opened the memorial buildings on 22 September 1957, and during the ceremony he unveiled a roll of honour.
In 1975 the main building was refurbished and reopened as the Gisborne War Memorial Theatre. Four decades later it was redeveloped again, and the renewed theatre opened in 2015.
A community trust raised money for the rebuild, and the War Memorial Theatre Trust later set aside funds left over from the work on both of the council’s theatres to start an endowment fund, now held by the Sunrise Foundation, to pay for upgrades such as sound equipment. Gisborne District Council remains responsible for repairs and maintenance.
The Memorial
The memorial purpose of the building runs through the redevelopment. The New Zealand Institute of Architects, reviewing the project, described the joined old and new parts as a “dual purpose facility for commemoration and performance.” The clearest sign of this is the Field of Poppies ceiling and lighting in the entrance hall, which both Gisborne Theatres and the institute single out.
The Theatre
Gisborne Theatres lists a proscenium arch with a raised stage, a fly tower, an orchestra pit and a grand piano. Behind the stage are six dressing rooms with toilets and showers, a green room with a kitchenette, a loading dock and a catering kitchen.
The auditorium is air-conditioned and has a licensed bar. The theatre belongs to the Hapai Access Card scheme, and the venue says its staff are trained to help people with a range of accessibility needs.
From locals
Can I get into the War Memorial Theatre in a wheelchair?
Where do you park for an evening show here, and is it hard to find a spot?
No answers yet. If you know, a local would love to hear it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the War Memorial Theatre?
At 159 Bright Street in central Gisborne.
Why is it called the War Memorial Theatre?
It began as the war memorial buildings of Gisborne and District, opened with the unveiling of a roll of honour, and became a theatre in 1975.
Who opened the memorial?
Sir Harold Barrowclough dedicated and opened the memorial buildings on 22 September 1957.
Was it always a theatre?
No. It opened as a public hall used for dances and other functions, beside clubrooms for the Returned Services Association. It was refurbished as a theatre in 1975 and redeveloped in 2015.
How many seats are there?
500: 362 in the stalls and 138 in the circle.
Who runs the theatre?
Gisborne District Council owns and manages it through Gisborne Theatres.
What is the poppy ceiling?
A Field of Poppies feature ceiling and lighting in the foyer, added in the redevelopment as a reminder of the building’s memorial role.
Can I hire the foyer?
Yes. Gisborne Theatres takes bookings for functions and events in the foyer.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Related links 2
- NZHistory: Gisborne war memorial theatre: the memorial’s history, its opening and the features kept on the site.
- Gisborne Photo News: War Memorial Buildings Dedicated and Opened: photographs and a report of the opening ceremony.