The Empire Theatre

What The Empire Theatre does

The Empire Theatre is a 700-seat live performance and cinema venue located at 321 Front Street in historic downtown Belleville, Ontario. Originally opened in 1938 as the McCarthy Theatre, the building closed in 1962, served as a sports and hobby store, and was purchased by musician Mark Rashotte in March 2002 before reopening as The Empire Theatre on September 13, 2003. The theatre operates as a dual-purpose venue presenting touring concerts, comedy, folk musicals, theatrical productions, current-release films, and retro classic films to residents of Belleville and the surrounding Quinte region.

The venue's physical infrastructure consists of the 700-seat main theatre plus the adjacent Empire Square outdoor space, which functions as a parking lot by day and a fair-weather rock venue during summer months. A 15th-anniversary renovation in 2018 installed 'The Monster,' a state-of-the-art sound system subsequently featured on the cover of Professional Sound Magazine in June 2019. The theatre maintains a core partnership with Pinnacle Music School to anchor local music education, and sources touring acts through presenting relationships with national and regional promoters including Live Nation, Outback Presents, Shantero Productions, Hejaz Entertainment, and Shipyard Kitchen.

The Empire's revenue model is transaction-based, with ticket prices ranging from $6.00 for retro movies to roughly $125 for premium concert tickets. Distribution runs through the Tixr online ticketing platform and a physical box office open weekdays plus weekend event windows, with marketing supported by the Empire Insider email newsletter, the company website, social media, and event-specific sponsors such as the Ontario Lottery Corporation, Medipac Travel Insurance, and the Canadian Snowbird Association. The business is entirely founder-owned by Mark Rashotte, with day-to-day operations led by Theatre Manager Adam Gray and Tech Director Brandon Kull, and shows no evidence of outside investors, funding rounds, or institutional ownership.

Name

The Empire Theatre

Legal name

The Empire Theatre

Website

https://theempiretheatre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Empire Theatre is a privately-owned 700-seat live performance and cinema venue in Belleville, Ontario, presenting touring concerts, comedy, musicals, and film screenings to local residents and regional visitors via Tixr and on-site box office ticket sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Live performance venue
• Cinema screenings
• Concert ticketing
• Comedy shows
• Performing arts center

Headquarters

HQ city

Belleville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Live Show Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales for live performances including concerts, comedy shows, and theatrical productions. Tickets are sold online via Tixr and at the box office. Prices range from approximately $39 to $125 per show plus applicable taxes and fees.
2. Movie Ticket Sales: Revenue from screening feature films and documentaries. Regular movie tickets priced at $13.00 inclusive of taxes and fees. Retro movie screenings priced at $6.00 inclusive of taxes and fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Empire Theatre operates a 700-seat performing arts venue in Belleville, Ontario, presenting live concerts, comedy shows, folk musicals, and theatrical productions, alongside cinema screenings of current releases and classic retro films. The venue also runs Empire Square Live, an adjacent outdoor summer concert space, and hosts the annual Two Nights In July festival.

Product overview

The Empire Theatre operates as a dual-purpose performing arts venue offering live stage performances and cinema screenings. The core offerings include Live Shows (concerts, comedy, and musical theatre), Movies (current releases and retro classics), and the annual Two Nights In July Festival. The theatre also manages Empire Square Live, an adjacent outdoor summer venue, and maintains a partnership with Pinnacle Music School. The venue has a 700-seat capacity and is located at 321 Front Street in downtown Belleville, Ontario.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empire Square Live: Adjacent outdoor venue to The Empire Theatre that operates as a parking lot by day and rock venue during fair weather months.

Products and services

• Live Shows Live performance events including concerts, comedy shows, folk musicals, and theatrical productions featuring national and international artists such as Steve Earle, The Stampeders, Pavlo, and Randy Feltface. Tickets range from approximately $39 to $125 plus taxes and fees.
• Movie Screenings Cinema screenings of current feature films and documentaries such as Tuner and Peter Asher: Everywhere Man. Regular movie tickets are priced at $13.00 inclusive of taxes and fees.
• Empire Retro Movies
• Two Nights In July Festival
• Empire Square Live

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pinnacle Music SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Empire Theatre is partnered with Pinnacle Music School located at 360 Pinnacle Street in Belleville. The music school has been a staple in the Quinte Area for over 25 years, offering a variety of music lessons and special programs. The partnership supports local music education and community engagement.
• Shantero Productions IncminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShantero Productions Inc is the presenter of The Stampeders concert at The Empire Theatre.
• Hejaz Entertainment Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHejaz Entertainment Inc. is the presenter of Pavlo's concert at The Empire Theatre.
• Live NationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLive Nation is the presenter of Steve Earle's concert at The Empire Theatre, representing a major national touring partnership.
• Outback PresentsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOutback Presents is the presenter of Randy Feltface's comedy show at The Empire Theatre.
• Shipyard Kitchen IncminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShipyard Kitchen Inc is the presenter of Tom Thomson's Wake folk musical at The Empire Theatre.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Tribute Communities Centre: Larger Oshawa-area live entertainment arena hosting touring concerts in the broader eastern-Greater Toronto corridor; overlaps with Empire's promoter ecosystem and touring catchment but at a larger capacity tier.

Direct peers

• Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts: Brantford, Ontario's restored heritage performing arts centre hosting touring national and international acts; comparable in seating capacity, regional-catchment economics, and presenter/promoter model.
• The Gladstone Theatre: Ottawa-based intimate theatre and concert venue featuring live music, comedy, and indie film programming; comparable on the live + cinema hybrid model and small-team operating structure.
• The Grand Theatre (Kingston): A historic multi-stage performing arts venue in Kingston, Ontario, presenting touring concerts, comedy, and theatrical productions for a regional Ontario audience — directly comparable in scale, programming mix, and catchment profile.
• Brockville Arts Centre: Eastern Ontario mid-size performing arts venue presenting touring concerts, comedy, and family shows to a similar regional catchment as Empire — same promoter-driven booking model and similar ticket price points.
• Showplace Performance Centre: Mid-size Peterborough, Ontario performing arts venue presenting touring concerts, comedy, and theatrical shows; directly comparable in regional catchement, capacity tier, and presenter/promoter dependency.

Broad incumbents

• Cineplex Entertainment: Canada's dominant movie-theatre chain; directly comparable on Empire's cinema exhibition arm (current releases, pricing, concessions) but operates at national scale and does not focus on the live-performance programming mix.
• The National Arts Centre (Ottawa): Federal performing arts venue in Ottawa presenting orchestral, dance, and touring stage programming; comparable on the live-performing-arts venue model but with institutional (government) backing and broader programming mandate.
• Mirvish Productions: Toronto-based commercial theatre producer and venue operator (Princess of Wales, CAA Theatre, Ed Mirvish); comparable on the ticketed performing arts business model but at substantially larger scale and concentrated in Toronto.

Others

• Live Nation Canada: North America's largest live entertainment promoter and venue operator; functions as both a partner (presenter of Steve Earle at Empire) and a structural comparable on live-event ticketing economics and promoter economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EmpireTheatre_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Empire Theatre