Dolby Theatre: size, capacity and what the Oscars 2024 event hall is like
The venue in downtown Los Angeles will once again host Hollywood’s biggest event of the year. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
The 96th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday 10 March, with Hollywood’s biggest and brightest stars to be rewarded for their achievements in the film industry over the last 12 months or so. As was the case last year (and also in 2017 and 2018), Jimmy Kimmel will once again host the event, which starts at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT (an hour earlier than usual) at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Here’s everything you need to know about the Oscars venue.
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Everything you need to know about the 2024 Oscars
When did the Dolby Theatre become the home of the Oscars? Why was it built?
Although it has hosted all kinds of ceremonies and shows, the Dolby Theatre is primarily known for being the permanent home of the Oscars since 2002, with the exception of 2021, when the gala was held at Union Station in LA (mainly due to the covid-19 pandemic).
The theatre is located between Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. Formerly known as The Kodak Theatre, it opened in November 2001 and was built to help the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) overcome logistical issues at other venues, that had a multitude of other events taking place.
From 2001 to 2012, the theatre was sponsored by the Eastman Kodak Company, which paid $75 million to acquire the building’s naming rights. After Kodak filed for bankruptcy, it temporarily became The Hollywood and Highland Center until Dolby Laboratories secured a 20-year naming rights deal until 2032.
Dolby Theatre design: capacity, structure, entrance, main hall...
This building was designed by the renowned architect David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group. With the capacity for 3,400 people (and a press room which holds more than 1,500), the venue has a large stage measuring 34 metres by 18 metres, with the audience chamber structured like a silver-leafed “tiara”.
The theatre is equipped with Dolby Atmos cinema sound playback, as you might expect, given its name.
Art Deco columns are the defining feature of the theatre’s entrance. Once inside, the lobby’s five levels are connected by a grand spiral staircase with cherrywood balustrades. The theatre halls contains 26 hanging photographs of previous Oscar winners...perhaps some new faces will be up there after the 2024 ceremony?