Carolina Theater reopens, draws audiences with live dance and revived film series

The Carolina Theater in Charlotte, closed for decades and restored by community and nonprofit partners, reopened in 2025 and is inviting audiences back with live dance and a revived film program. "There's something special that happens in a theater when the lights go down, and you are there and you're communing with your community," said Ben Klein, the theater's programmer.

Klein cited the Hispanic Flamenco Ballet as one example of the theater's live offerings and said curating events that bring people together is central to the venue's mission. "What makes people gather? I think that's the biggest thing that, I'm asking myself whenever I'm considering an event," he said.

The venue originally opened in 1927 as a silent-picture palace and hosted both films and live performers over the years. It closed in 1978 and later was purchased by the city of Charlotte; according to the transcript, the city later gifted the property to the Foundation for the Carolinas for $1 to support restoration and reopening.

Since its return, the theater has presented films and other programming that have sold out, Klein said. "We played films that you can actively see on your TV probably at any time of the year, and we were selling them out," he said, adding that the revival reflects years of community vision and effort to bring the space back to life.

Organizers hope the programming will continue to grow audience participation and cement the theater's place in Charlotte's cultural life. The report in the transcript does not list a formal schedule or specific upcoming dates; those items were not specified.