WILMINGTON — Thalian Hall is moving forward with renovation capital campaign with two notable boosts from the City of Wilmington and the New Hanover Community Endowment.
At its Tuesday meeting, the Wilmington City Council voted unanimously to approve $3.5 million for several projects in Thalian Hall’s planned renovations.
After the city officially moved its offices and council chambers to the Skyline Center last year, Thalian Hall launched a $25 million capital campaign for its planned renovations of the 168-year-old facility.
“Every generation since 1858 has done their part to lift this sacred space for our cultural life from their own generation to the next,” CEO of Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts Shan Fernando said Tuesday.
READ MORE: ‘Temple to the performing arts’: $25M capital campaign begins for Thalian Hall
He explained the facility has been at capacity for many years due to the demand from local cultural organizations and touring acts, though the planned upgrades are expected to increase annual attendance from 100,000 patrons to 200,000 in the next three to five years, with economic impact anticipated to double as well.
This generation of improvements include sound and lighting upgrades to the 650-seat main stage, a scenic lab for scene construction, rehearsal spaces, three additional performance spaces, a recording studio, a research library and overall building and façade improvements. The former council chambers will be turned into a hippodrome, a floor-to-ceiling LED immersive display referred to as a more intimate Las Vegas Sphere.
“Imagine a theater company wants to perform a scene in the Gobi Desert,” Fernando said. “Well, at the press of some buttons, the floor will turn into sand and a 360-degree desert landscape will surround not only the performers, but the entire audience.”
Because the city still owns Thalian Hall, the city has been asked to contribute to several building improvements. Thalian Hall is under renovation, there are several building improvements that the city needs to invest in and update. These include fire suppression for the building, elevator replacement, Princess Street Portico restoration and Third Street Portico improvements.
The city will reimburse Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. for actual completed work. According to the city, there is available capital funding in th Public Facilities Project Fund, while the remaining allocation will be financed through the debt service fund.
In addition to the city’s contribution, Thalian Hall also announced this week it has completed requirements to receive the full $3 million from The Endowment.
In October 2025, The Endowment awarded $1 million to Thalian Hall upfront, with $2 million to follow if Thalian Hall matched the contribution by a 2:1 ration, or with $4 million.
To date, Thalian Hall’s capital campaign has raised $11 million aside from the city’s contribution. Construction is expected to complete in the second quarter of 2028, with the facility staying open during the work.
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