Basel keeps musical theatre and names its new operator

Basel-Stadt has chosen Act Theater Management to take over its Musical Theater from January 2027, ending years of debate over the venue’s future, SRF reports.

The company will take over the building under a building-rights agreement for 1.55 million francs and pay annual ground rent of 280,000 francs. Thomas Dürr, chief executive of Act Entertainment, said the company plans to bring larger musicals back to Basel, as well as host live podcasts, comedy shows and concerts.

The theater in Basel’s Kleinbasel district will remain a cultural venue. The canton had considered converting it into a swimming pool, including a 50-metre pool for sporting events and competitions. The proposed conversion was estimated to cost around 100 million francs.

The plans faced opposition. A group launched a petition in 2022, and an initiative to preserve the theater followed in early 2024. In summer 2025, the cantonal parliament decided to keep the building as a cultural venue and approved 15 million francs for renovations.

Built in 1995 for the musical Phantom of the Opera, the theater hosted the production about 700 times before it ended in 1997. Dürr said musicals now tend to run for shorter periods, making it important to offer a wider range of events. Plans include bringing Phantom of the Opera back and giving local groups, including the Top Secret Drum Corps, a stage.

Basel already has the larger St. Jakobshalle, but Dürr said it would complement the theater rather than compete with it. Before the takeover, the theater’s heating and ventilation systems need renovation. Dürr also hopes to give the building a more prominent exterior, possibly with an LED facade.