Winning design revealed for $188 million redevelopment of Parramatta's Riverside Theatres

A 1500 seat Broadway-style lyric theatre with First Nations inspired interiors is among the key features of the winning design for $188 million plus redevelopment of Riverside Theatres.

Revealed today, the winning design, led by COX Architecture with 3XN Architects, Aileen Sage, Turf Design Studio, and Bangawarra, will more than double Riverside Theatres’ current capacity to 2,780 seats.

Along with the new 1,500-seat lyric theatre, the venue includes a refurbished 760-seat Riverside Playhouse theatre, an all-new 420 seat black-box drama theatre and state-of-the-art 80 seat digital studio and cinema and enhanced public spaces.

City of Parramatta Lord Mayor, Pierre Esber commented "once complete, Riverside Theatres will be a world-class performing arts centre featuring state-of-the-art facilities and enhanced public spaces that will double its capacity and supercharge the City’s night-time and visitor economies.

"The reimagined Riverside Theatres will attract talent to Parramatta as we become an epicentre for creativity with our deep roots in arts and culture alongside the new Powerhouse Parramatta.

“Our community will soon have access to a state-of-the-art facility that will attract major Australian works and the best of Broadway and the West End shows to Parramatta for the first time. 

“It also offers more opportunities for local and international talent to amplify their stories in a soon to be brand new modern theatre.

“We are committed to providing a thriving cultural precinct in Parramatta and this new design for Riverside brings us one step closer to our end goal.”

The winning design was selected unanimously by the jury from a field of five final entries by internationally acclaimed design teams. The cohesive team crafted the reimagined Riverside Theatres to global best-practice standards, with a strong focus on accessibility and artistic flexibility.

Riverside Theatres Director Craig McMaster said the new Riverside Theatres will build on the venue’s 35-year, award-winning history as a cultural anchor for our community.

McMaster noted "our redevelopment’s incredible new design and facilities will open the door to bringing the best in international and Australian performances directly to audiences from Parramatta and across NSW.

“Our project is not just about creating an iconic new building; it’s about creating a true centre for the performing arts in Western Sydney, a space where everyone feels welcomed and inspired and which embodies our commitment to cultural inclusion and creative excellence."

Speaking on behalf of the winning design team, Joe Agius, Design Director with COX Architecture, added “the reimagined Riverside Theatres will be a major uplift in the cultural capacity for Parramatta and Greater Western Sydney. Guided by a commitment to the location’s First Nations origin and sense of place, our goal was for a design that sensitively responds to both the natural beauty of the river and the site’s city context. Our team of creative collaborators are honoured to be part of this transformative project for the City of Parramatta and NSW.”

The Riverside redevelopment project is funded by City of Parramatta and the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants.

Construction for the reimagined Riverside Theatres will start in late 2025 with doors to the new multi-million performing arts facility set to open in 2028.

Riverside Theatres win in Entertainment and Events category at the Australian Web Awards
The venue has also secured an award for Best Website - Entertainment and Events category at the Australian Web Awards.

Commenting on this McMaster, acknowledged the Riverside marketing team, offering “special thanks to former marketing team lead Sophie Anderson, for driving this project with the support of City of Parramatta’s digital team.”

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Image: The design and increased capacity will help establish the venue as an elite performing arts centre, welcoming more than 400,000 visitors per year.