Gaiety Theatre or Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex is historic theatre and tourist destination in Shimla. It is located on Mall Road.

Venue: Gaiety Theatre
Town: Shimla, IN

Gaiety Theatre or Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex is historic theatre and tourist destination in Shimla. It is located on Mall Road. It is the hub of cultural events of the state. It also very popular among Bollywood as many music videos and movies are often filmed here, including the 2019 song "Pachtaoge" by Arijit Singh and 2022 song "O Aasmanwale" by Jubin Nautiyal. The Gaiety Theatre was opened on 30 May 1887, to a design by the English architect Henry Irwin. It is an example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture, derived from British Victorian examples. It was once part of the large town hall complex. It had a capacity of more than 300 people. Initially, it was a five-storey building with a theatre, ballroom, armoury, police office, bar, and galleries. After nearly two decades from its date of establishment, it was found that the building was structurally unsafe. It was partially demolished, but the Gaiety Theatre remains untouched. With a rich history to its credit, the theatre was the center for entertainment and socialisation, where Viceroy Lord Lytton wrote and staged a play called Walpole, and Rudyard Kipling acted in 'a scrap of paper'. Legends like Baden Powell, K.L. Sehgal, Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Balraj Sahni, Pran, Tom Alter, Manohar Singh, Jennifer Kendall, Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Shahid Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Mohit Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal and others have also performed here. At one time the popularity of English plays in the theatre earned the nickname, 'Mecca of Theatre'. The room has superb acoustics, and though it has undergone some minor renovations, the screen used is still the same as the one designed by the architect. With an array of venues, including an exhibition hall, an art gallery, a multi-purpose hall, an amphitheatre, and an old theatre hall, this is the hub of performing arts in the state. The complex witnesses a huge volume of visitors year-round due to its cultural prominence. Even today,