The Plaza opened in 1963 as Orlando's first two screen movie theater, and locals called it the Rocking Chair Theatre for its seats. The rockers are long gone. What stayed is a midsize hall on Bumby Avenue with good sightlines and a calendar that moves easily between folk singers, comedians, classic rock bands and the Orlando Philharmonic.
Orlando, Orlando area
The Plaza Live
425 North Bumby Avenue, Orlando · 18 upcoming shows
Coming up here
More in OrlandoSaturdayNov 7
SaturdayNov 21
SundayNov 22
WednesdayNov 25
FridayNov 27
WednesdayDec 9
FridayDec 11
SundayDec 13
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SaturdayJan 9
ThursdayJan 14
SaturdayJan 30
FridayFeb 12
SaturdayFeb 13
FridayFeb 19
TuesdayFeb 23
WednesdayMar 10
FridayMar 12
ThursdayApr 22
Know before you go
Movie house to music hall
The building turned to live shows in the early 1990s and has been a concert stage ever since. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra bought it in August 2013. In 2019 the City of Orlando became the owner and leased it back to the Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation, which runs the venue and its events. A renovation of nearly $10 million updated the music hall, the rehearsal spaces and the offices.
Gordon Lightfoot, Styx, Kansas, Brandi Carlile, Bon Iver and Joe Bonamassa are among the acts that have played the main hall.
The room
The main hall holds up to 991 seated or 1,330 standing, depending on how the floor is set. A second space, the Palmer Room, seats 250. Because the same hall flips between seated and standing shows, check your ticket to see which kind of night you bought, along with doors and any age limit.
Parking and the neighborhood
From downtown, head east on Colonial Drive and turn right onto Bumby. The Plaza sits beside the Colonial Plaza shopping center and on the edge of the Milk District. It has its own lot, and overflow parking has been in the Colonial Plaza lot next door.
Come hungry. Beefy King is right across Bumby, and the Milk District bars along Robinson Street are a short walk south. If you would rather not drive, a rideshare from downtown is a short hop out Colonial.
For orchestra nights and other seated programs around the state, see the classical calendar. For a downtown club night instead, try The Beacham on Orange Avenue, and every show in the area is on the Orlando page.