Georgia Entertainment Scene
Georgia Entertainment Scene

Fox Theatre earns recognition as highest-grossing venue of its size for the decade worldwide

The Atlanta institution is also celebrating its 90th anniversary
Atlanta's Fox Theatre is getting accolades on its 90th birthday.
Atlanta's Fox Theatre is getting accolades on its 90th birthday.
By Melissa Ruggieri
Dec 6, 2019

The Fox Theatre is celebrating its 90th anniversary and also recognition as the highest-grossing venue of its size for the decade worldwide.

Live entertainment trade publication VenuesNow tabbed the 4,600-capacity Fox for selling 5.28 million tickets to 1,845 performances during the past decade. In 2009, Billboard named the theater the No. 1 non-residency venue worldwide for the previous decade for venues with fewer than 5,000 seats.

Since 2010, the Fox Theatre hosted the Broadway in Atlanta debuts of "The Book of Mormon" and "Hamilton," as well as hundreds of concerts including Diana Ross, Widespread Panic, Aretha Franklin, My Morning Jacket, David Byrne, Al Green, Vampire Weekend and, in 2016, what turned out to be the final performances of Prince.

“As we gear up to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Atlanta’s most iconic entertainment venue, it is truly a humbling honor for us to be recognized by our peers. The impact this historic venue has made on our community, the state of Georgia and the region, is truly unprecedented,” said Allan Vella, president and CEO of the Fox Theatre.

The venue will launch its 90th anniversary party on Dec. 17 with the 14th annual “Holiday Extravaganza.” The free event will spotlight the theater’s beloved Mollër organ and include performances from Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics, Atlanta Gay Men’s Choir and Decatur High School Choir. As well, the theater will screen “Steamboat Willie,” the first movie shown at the theater’s opening on Christmas Day 90 years ago.

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About the Author

Melissa Ruggieri has covered music and entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2010 and created the Atlanta Music Scene blog. She's kept vampire hours for more than two decades and remembers when MTV was awesome.

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