A Town Celebrates: Worthing Pavilion Theatre Turns 100

From a blue plaque for one of Worthing's great pioneers to a glittering Gala Night in December, Worthing Theatres & Museum marks the Pavilion Theatre's centenary with events for everyone.

On Thursday 25 June 2026, Worthing Pavilion Theatre turns one hundred. For a century, it has stood as a beacon on Worthing's seafront, hosting generations of performers, audiences and memories. Worthing Theatres & Museum (WTM) is marking the occasion with a programme of events that looks back at the building's remarkable history while looking firmly forward to its next chapter.

A Century in the Making

The Pavilion first opened on 25 June 1926, and the town has been gathering there ever since. Comedians, dancers, orchestras, pantomime dames and countless community groups have all called its stage their home. For many Worthing residents, a night at the Pavilion is less a night out than a ritual, passed down through families and woven into the fabric of local life.

A Hundred Years of Stories

The Pavilion that opened in 1926 wasn't Worthing's first. The original Pier Pavilion had stood a quarter of a mile further along, but in 1920 the council bought the iron pier with a clear ambition: to give the town a venue worthy of year-round, high-quality entertainment. That dream was realised when Mayor Walter Gardiner opened the new Pier Pavilion at the seaside end of the pier on 25 June 1926.

Designed by architects Adshead and Ramsey, the building drew inspiration from the great concert halls of Rome, Nice, Vienna and Paris. Stanley Adshead wanted nothing lacking in Worthing's Pavilion, bringing a touch of European opulence and musical heritage to the seafront. In its early years, the venue was home to the municipal orchestra and hosted both plays and musical programmes, before the resident repertory company moved on to the Connaught Theatre.

By the late 1920s, the Pavilion was the place to be, with nightly queues for returned tickets to see the stars of the day. But fortunes shifted through the 1930s, and by 1932 only the orchestra and Saturday variety shows remained, with the venue's future far from certain. It survived regardless, and when the south coast became a focus of wartime defences in 1940, the pier and theatre closed - only to reopen in 1942 as a garrison theatre, keeping the tradition of live entertainment alive through the war years.

The Pavilion kept evolving: canopies were added around 1970, and the whole venue closed for refurbishment between 1979 and 1982, emerging as the Pavilion Theatre we know today. Its proscenium arch, framing the stage with depictions of the muses and their ancient Greek names, was repainted in 2010.

Across a century, the stage has welcomed an extraordinary roll call of performers, from Ken Dodd, Norman Wisdom, Mickey Rooney, Joyce Grenfell, Tommy Trinder and Gary Wilmot to more recent stars including Julian Clary, Jethro and Joe Brown. And throughout, the Pavilion has kept one charming secret: beneath the seating, a fully sprung dance floor can still be revealed, ready for cabaret, circus and ballet in front of audiences of up to 1,100.

25 June 2026: The Birthday

At 11.00 AM, the first of four public backstage tours will take visitors through the wings, dressing rooms, and hidden spaces that audiences normally never see.

At the same time, the Worthing Society will unveil a Blue Plaque outside the venue in honour of James Gurney Denton. Four-time Mayor and one of Worthing's great philanthropists, Denton gave Denton Gardens to the town, funded the Assembly Hall, and his bequest paid for the building of the Denton Lounge (now Pavilion Atrium) in 1959. Few people have shaped the town more quietly or more lastingly.

Local dignitaries, MPs, councillors, sponsors and donors have been invited for the unveiling. Later that day, the doors to the Atrium will open to everyone for tea, coffee and cake, and the chance to see a spectacular display cake donated by Gosh Patisserie. Visitors will be able to add memories to a community memory tree, browse an exhibition of Pavilion archival material, and pick up centenary mugs and lapel pins.

Councillor Dom Ford, Worthing's cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure, said:

"As well as being an iconic landmark, Worthing Pavilion Theatre has played a central role in the town's cultural life for 100 years, bringing people together through music, pantomime, comedy and so much more. Reaching this centenary is a remarkable milestone, and I look forward to celebrating the Pavilion's rich history and exciting future through the events planned for this special occasion."

Jill Stewart, Executive Director, WTM, said:

"For 100 years, the Pavilion has been at the heart of Worthing's cultural life. As we celebrate this milestone, we are also looking to the future, ensuring it continues to inspire, entertain and bring our community together for the next century."

A Centenary Summer

From 25 June, every event at the Pavilion Theatre & Atrium will carry the centenary identity for the rest of 2026. On Sunday 12 July, a special talk, Worthing Pavilion and the Art Deco Seaside, opens a planned series of talks on Worthing's interwar period.

December: Gala Night

The year ends with a Centenary Gala Night in December. Dignitaries, supporters and the performers and groups who have made the Pavilion what it is will gather for a reception, the show, and a post-show celebration of this year's pantomime, Puss in Boots.

A Legacy for the Next Hundred Years

On 25 June, WTM will also launch a legacy campaign drawing on the spirit of James Gurney Denton: a man who was not merely passionate about Worthing, but who invested in its future. The campaign invites those who feel the same way today to consider their part in the next hundred years.