The St James Theatre Rebuild w/ Steve Bielby: 21 April, 2026

The St James Theatre, which first opened in 1928, is a category 1 heritage building sitting on Queen street in Auckland’s arts precinct. Once a venue for many shows and concerts, and having hosted notable individuals including Queen Elizabeth II, it has since been in a state of disrepair after it closed following a fire in 2007. Its fate has long been debated as it further decayed and attempts to restore it had stalled due to lack of funding. Finally, in 2023, the government announced it would match Auckland Council’s pledge of 15 million dollars for the rebuild, allowing work to fully commence. 

I spoke to Steve Bielby, director of the St James holdings, about how the rebuild is coming along now that funding is secure, what remains to be done and how the public is engaging with the news that the St James will one day reopen its doors.