‘World-renowned’ acoustics part of bigger, better Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, mayor says

Those who enjoy theatre and other live performances can catch bigger and better acts as soon as next year at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga as the city’s largest arts and culture facility is adding hundreds of seats to its main hall.

Mayor Carolyn Parrish told INsauga.com in an interview last Friday preliminary plans to increase the capacity of the Main Auditorium (formerly Hammerson Hall) from around 1,120 to 1,680 seats are nearly complete.

The addition of some 560 seats will draw the LAC closer to performing arts centres in Toronto in terms of audience capacity and, subsequently, allow the downtown Mississauga venue to book “bigger and better acts,” the mayor said.

Parrish, who first told INsauga.com about the LAC’s increased capacity plans in an interview last fall, said several days ago she recently received “good news” the Main Auditorium “can go to 1,680 seats without knocking out any walls.”

The seats can be added and the new-look hall ready to host nearly 1,700 patrons “in a year,” Parrish said of the time frame for completion.

The mayor noted the increased capacity at the LAC’s main performance hall will rival audience numbers at many of Toronto’s theatres, some of which “are around 1,600 or so.”

Add to that “a beautiful stage and almost perfect acoustics” Parrish further described as being “world renowned” and the Mississauga venue should in short order attract bigger performers, she said.

(Photo: INsauga.com)

By comparison, here are seating capacities at some performing arts centres in Toronto and surrounding areas:

• Meridian Hall (formerly Sony Centre for the Performing Arts), Toronto’s first performing arts centre and Canada’s largest such venue — 3,191 seats
• Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto — 2,200 seats
• Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto — 2,000 seats
• Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto — 2,071 seats
• Meridian Arts Centre, North York (formerly Toronto Centre for the Arts and Ford Centre for the Performing Arts) — 1,727 seats initially, but fewer after renovations divided the main theatre into two halls
• Rose Theatre, Brampton — 868 seats in main theatre (as many as 1,000 with main theatre and secondary space)
• Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts — fewer than 500 seats
• Lester B. Pearson Memorial Theatre, Brampton — 400 seats

The added capacity at the LAC is part of ongoing renovations at the facility and a revamped venue is a key component of Parrish’s larger vision for Mississauga’s downtown core.

A new roof, a complete rebuild of the lobby concession area and various other upgrades are also in the works for the Living Arts Centre.

Much of the major renovation work was scheduled to be completed throughout 2024 with additional upgrades to be budgeted for and started in 2025, LAC officials said earlier.

In addition to that work, Parrish said she’s also looking forward in the coming years to seeing a new conference centre and hotel built on the three acres of vacant land surrounding the LAC.

That development would feature, among other amenities, “a couple of good restaurants” and is another cornerstone in her plan for a revitalized City Centre area, the mayor told INsauga.com earlier.

A new 7,500-seat soccer stadium and an urban school that would house kindergarten-to-Grade 8 students are also part of the mayor’s vision for a revamped and re-energized downtown Mississauga core.

The LAC opened in the City Centre area, next to Square One Shopping Centre and the Mississauga Civic Centre, in 1997. Officials say the facility welcomes some 400,000 annual visitors who come to watch operas, theatre, musical concerts and other performances.

The venue features three presentation-ready theatres, seven professional craft studios and an in-house restaurant.

Some of the LAC renovation work includes:

• refreshing of the Live Cuisine restaurant
• full rebuild of the lobby concession stand
• roof replacement
• bird deterrent for the front façade
• mechanical HVAC renewal
• video, audio, lighting, orchestra lift system upgrades and replacements

In the midst of renovations, the Living Arts Centre has also made a post-pandemic comeback, of sorts. Last June, LAC officials announced that for the first time in five years, the venue had a full lineup of entertainment on tap for its 2024/25 season.

The season kicked off last Sept. 28 and marked a much-anticipated return to a full season for the first time since 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, LAC officials said.

“This exciting new season celebrates bringing people back to the theatre and showcasing the arts,” officials said earlier, describing the current program calendar as “bold.”