Toronto's premier Broadway house — the Princess of Wales has hosted The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, and every major musical tour since opening in 1993. The murals by Frank Stella are extraordinary — arrive early to see them before the show.
Neighbourhood: Entertainment District · Address: 300 King St W, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon: Closed | Tue 3:00 – 8:00 PM | Wed 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Thu–Fri 3:00 – 8:00 PM | Sat 12:00 – 8:00 PM | Sun 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM · Phone: (800) 461-3333
Why Visit
Catch major Broadway shows without leaving Toronto at a theatre where every seat actually feels close to the action. The Frank Stella murals alone are worth arriving early for—the upper lobby is unexpectedly colourful.
What Makes It Unique
Beyond hosting the first Canadian runs of legendary productions like The Lion King and War Horse, the Princess of Wales was purpose-built for musicals, so acoustics and sightlines are exceptional. The vast, multi-story Stella artworks covering ceiling and walls turn the whole venue into an art experience, not just a performance space.
The Princess of Wales Theatre on King Street West is Toronto's premier commercial theatre house — a 2,000-seat venue built in 1993 specifically by producers Ed and David Mirvish for the North American production of Miss Saigon, and designed from the ground up for large-scale Broadway-style productions with state-of-the-art technical infrastructure that few theatre buildings anywhere can match. The Mirvish organization has maintained and expanded the theatre's technical capabilities over the decades, making it the preferred Toronto venue for productions requiring complex staging, flying systems, or large orchestral pits.
The theatre's history is a survey of the best Broadway touring productions to visit Canada: The Lion King ran here for years in its original Canadian production. Miss Saigon's helicopter sequence was made technically possible by this building. The Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton, Come From Away (a Canadian premiere), Hadestown, and dozens of other significant musicals and plays have used the Princess of Wales as their Toronto home. Mirvish Productions has a long track record of not just booking tours but originating productions in Toronto that subsequently travel internationally.
The auditorium design by Yamasaki Architecture is notable — asymmetrical seating arranged around a thrust configuration, excellent sightlines from most locations, and murals by American artist Frank Stella that cover large sections of the interior walls. The lobby spaces are generous and comfortable, the technical infrastructure visible in the fly tower above the stage is genuinely impressive to observe, and the general production values on Mirvish shows tend to be high.
The King West neighbourhood surrounding the theatre has become one of Toronto's best restaurant corridors, making the Princess of Wales the anchor of an excellent pre- and post-theatre dining scene. Book dinner reservations near the 6 PM pre-curtain rush if you're planning a full evening.