 | |
 The front facade of the Dolby Theatre atOvation Hollywood, the actual theatre is at the rear of the complex. | |
 Interactive map of Dolby Theatre | |
| Former names | Kodak Theatre (2001–2012) |
|---|---|
| Location | 6801Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood,California 90028 |
| Coordinates | 34°06′10″N118°20′25″W / 34.10278°N 118.34028°W /34.10278; -118.34028 |
| Public transit |   Hollywood/Highland |
| Owner | Canyon Partners |
| Type | Indoortheatre |
| Seating type | Reserved |
| Capacity | 3,400[1] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1997 |
| Built | 2001 |
| Opened | November 9, 2001; 24 years ago (2001-11-09) |
| Construction cost | $94 million[2] |
| General contractor | McCarthy Building Companies |
| Website | |
| dolbytheatre | |
TheDolby Theatre (formerly known as theKodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in theOvation Hollywood shopping mall and entertainment complex, onHollywood Boulevard andHighland Avenue, in theHollywood neighborhood ofLos Angeles, California, United States. Since its opening on November 9, 2001, it has been the venue of the annualAcademy Awards ceremony. It is adjacent toGrauman's Chinese Theatre and opposite theEl Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.
Besides the Academy Awards, the venue has hosted other concerts and theatrical performances.
The theater was designed byDavid Rockwell of the Rockwell Group specifically with the Oscar ceremonies in mind.[3] Though the stage is one of the largest in the United States—roughly tied with theElliott Hall of Music atPurdue University—measuring 113 feet (34 m) wide and 60 feet (18 m) deep, itsseating capacity is only about half that of the Hall of Music,[2] accommodating 3,332 people.
The auditorium has become known as a venue for televised theatrical performances (e.g.,American Idol and the Academy Awards). The architectural team consulted extensively with leading production personnel in Hollywood, achieving a highly functional cable infrastructure, with an underground cable bunker that crosses under the theater to truck locations on adjacent streets. Power is also substantial and accessible. The theater has a unique Rockwell-designed cockpit in the orchestra seating area for camera, sound, and stage management.
The hall from the front entrance to the grand stairway (leading up to the theater at the rear of the shopping complex) is flanked by storefronts, as well asArt Deco columns displaying the names of past recipients of theAcademy Award for Best Picture (with blank spaces left for future Best Picture winners, currently set up to 2071). In a fashion reminiscent of Hollywood movie-making, the building isdressed before the Academy Awards ceremony, sometimes with a different sign on its façade, red drapery to hide its storefronts, and the famousred carpet running up its grand stairway.
The theater was developed by theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to overcome logistical issues it faced hosting the Academy Awards at other venues, such as theDorothy Chandler Pavilion andShrine Auditorium.[4] In August 1997, AMPAS and Canadian development firmTrizecHahn went into negotiations over the development of an entertainment complex located on the corner ofHollywood Boulevard andHighland Avenue adjacent to theMann's Chinese Theatre.[5] Seven months later, both the Academy and TrizecHahn agreed on a twenty-year lease that allowed for the ceremony to be staged at the new venue.[6][7]
The Academy Awards were first hosted at the new theater for its74th edition in 2002, marking the first time it was held in Hollywood since the32nd ceremony at thePantages Theatre in 1960.[6] It has been the venue for all Academy Awards ceremonies held since, with the only exception being the93rd Academy Awards in 2021—which were downsized and moved toUnion Station due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in California.[8]
The theater was sponsored, until February 2012, by theEastman Kodak Company, which paid $75 million fornaming rights to the building.[9] In early 2012, Eastman Kodak filed forbankruptcy protection, thus ending its naming-rights deal. Then the theater's name was temporarily changed to the Hollywood and Highland Center[10] at the suggestion of the venue's landlord.[11]
On May 1, 2012, it was announced that the venue would be renamed the Dolby Theatre, afterDolby Laboratories signed a 20-year naming rights deal.[12] Dolby updated the sound system first by installingDolby Atmos. The company plans to continue updating the auditorium with newer technologies as they become available.[13]
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Besides the Academy Awards, the theatre has hosted other award presentations. TheAmerican Film Institute has held itsLife Achievement Award gala at the theatre.[14] It hosted the3rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2002.
The venue hostedMiss USA 2004 andMiss USA 2007.
From September 2011 until early 2013, the venue hostedIris, aCirque du Soleil residency show inspired by the history of cinema.[15] Significant changes were made to the theater to accommodate the show, including adding lifts deep under the original floor. It was announced on November 29, 2012, thatIris would close on January 19, 2013, after only two seasons, due to lack of profit.[15]
The reality music competition seriesAmerican Idol hosted its season finales from the Dolby Theatre during its original run onFox from 2002, 2004–2007, and 2015–2016. From 2016–2019 and 2021, the theatre hosted the live shows of theNBC reality competition seriesAmerica's Got Talent.[16]
TheSonic Symphony held a concert at the Dolby Theatre on September 30, 2023, featuringJohnny Gioeli andJun Senoue ofCrush 40.[17]
The venue hosted theMAMA Awards on November 21, 2024.[18]
Wicked: One Wonderful Night was also hosted at the Dolby Theatre on September 24, 2025, with the special broadcasting on NBC on November 6, 2025.[19]
The Venue will host theSummer Game Fest on June 5, 2026.[20]
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