After having undergone extensive renovations the 77-year-old Forest Theater will once again open its door this fall.
The South Dallas theater, located at 1918 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will be holding its first event in almost 20 years. The Grand Opening will welcome members of the community back inside on Sunday, November 1, 5:30-9 pm. The celebration will include musical guests, live entertainment, food trucks and a Vendor Village. The highlight of the evening will be the ceremonial relighting of the Forest Theater’s marquee and iconic tower for the first time in over a half a century.
Theaters have historically relied on the services of local Print shops.
The theater, which closed in 2008, was at one time one of the city’s foremost live entertainment destinations hosting names such as Ike & Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, B.B. King, Wilson Pickett, and Prince. In 2017 the venue was headed for demolition when Preservation Dallas advocated that it be saved for its historic value as a local landmark.
Thanks to the effort of Preservation Dallas, nonprofit Forest Forward was gifted the property in 2017, which started a $75 million dollar restoration in 2024 supported by a fundraising campaign and an $8 million grant given by the City of Dallas.
The building was expanded to cover 66,000-square-feet allowing for the inclusion of a 1,000-person concert hall, creative education lab measuring 13,000 square feet, a 200-seat black box theater, artist classrooms, recording and podcast studios, community meeting areas and a rooftop gathering space.
Get a Free Quote for Print
