The Paramount Theatre is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 911 Pine Street in downtown Seattle, Washington. Originally opened on March 1, 1928, as the Seattle Theatre, it was built by Paramount Pictures at a cost of nearly $3 million. The venue was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 1974. It is operated by Seattle Theatre Group (STG), a non-profit organization that also runs the Moore Theatre and the Neptune Theatre. The Paramount hosts touring concerts, Broadway productions, comedy shows, and silent film screenings. It is best suited for established touring acts and mid-to-large artists who can sell 2,000-plus tickets in the Seattle market.
On October 31, 1991, Nirvana performed a Halloween concert at the Paramount that was recorded in 16mm film. The show was released as Live at the Paramount in 2011 as part of the 20th anniversary reissue of Nevermind. It is considered the band's highest quality live recording. Here is "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from that show, uploaded by Nirvana's official VEVO channel:
History and Architecture
During the 1920s, before the invention of sound films, vaudeville and silent movies were the dominant form of entertainment in the United States. Seattle alone had more than 50 movie palaces. Paramount Pictures, led by president Adolph Zukor, constructed grand movie palaces in major cities across the country between 1926 and 1928. In late 1926 or early 1927, Paramount decided to build in Seattle.
The Chicago-based architectural firm Rapp & Rapp designed the theatre building. Seattle resident B. Marcus Priteca, an established architect of movie palaces, designed the building's adjacent apartments and office suites. The Paramount was the first venue in the United States to have a convertible floor system, which converts the theater from seated mode to a ballroom. This allows the main floor to serve as unreserved standing room for general admission concerts, increasing capacity to approximately 3,000.
The theatre retains its original Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ, a 4 manual/21 rank Publix 1 style organ. It is one of only three remaining original organs of this style. The organ is maintained by volunteers from the Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society and is played during the Trader Joe's Silent Movie Mondays series.
The venue was renamed the Paramount Northwest in 1971. In 1993, Ida Cole, a former Microsoft vice-president, purchased the theatre and closed it for repairs in May 1994. It reopened as the Paramount on March 17, 1995. A new LED replica of the original 1940s neon sign was installed in 2009, replacing the old fluorescent bulbs.
Notable Performances
Jerry Garcia played the Paramount nine times: four occasions with the Grateful Dead and five times with the Jerry Garcia Band or his Legion of Mary project. On October 31, 1991, Nirvana performed a Halloween concert at the Paramount that was recorded in 16mm film. The show was later released as Live at the Paramount, considered the band's highest quality live recording.
On December 2, 1972, Black Oak Arkansas recorded a concert at the venue that provided four of the seven songs on their 1973 album Raunch 'N' Roll Live. The Paramount was also used to hold televised auditions for the sixth season of America's Got Talent.
In 2026, STG has scheduled a range of events at the Paramount including concerts, comedy tours, and theatrical productions running through August and beyond.
Notable Performances Here
- Nirvana (October 31, 1991) - Performed a Halloween concert recorded in 16mm film, released as Live at the Paramount in 2011. Recorded just five weeks after the release of Nevermind and before the album topped the Billboard chart in January 1992. It is the only Nirvana show recorded in 16mm. Here is "Drain You" from the same concert, also from Nirvana's official VEVO channel:
- Jerry Garcia (multiple dates) - Played the Paramount nine times: four occasions with the Grateful Dead and five times with the Jerry Garcia Band or his Legion of Mary project
- Grateful Dead (multiple dates, including 1977) - Performed at the Paramount Theatre on several tours, with audience recordings from 1977 shows archived on the Internet Archive
- Black Oak Arkansas (December 2, 1972) - Recorded a concert at the venue that provided four of the seven songs on their 1973 album Raunch 'N' Roll Live
- America's Got Talent (Season 6) - The Paramount was used to hold televised auditions for the sixth season of the NBC competition show
- 2026 schedule - Includes Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (August 22 to September 12), Boz Scaggs (September 15), Lily Allen (September 24), Sara Bareilles (October 19), and Joe Russo's Almost Dead (August 15)
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
The Paramount is not a venue that independent artists book directly. STG programs the venue through relationships with major promoters and booking agents. Independent artists should focus on STG's smaller venues, the Moore Theatre (1,400 capacity) and the Neptune Theatre (650 capacity), as more realistic targets.
For independent artists who have grown beyond club capacity, the Paramount is a target venue for when they can sell 2,000-plus tickets in Seattle. The convertible floor system is a significant advantage. For general admission concerts, the main floor becomes standing room while balcony seating remains, allowing a more energetic atmosphere than a fully seated theater.
The Paramount's location on Pine Street in downtown Seattle is accessible via the Link light rail at Westlake Station, making it easy for fans from across the Puget Sound region to attend shows.
Use our Tour Revenue Calculator to model what different venue tiers contribute to your tour income. Read our guide on how to book your first tour for a framework on progressing from clubs to theaters. The complete guide to making money as a musician in 2026 covers live revenue at every scale.
Related Resources
- Tour Revenue Calculator - Estimate earnings from live shows
- How to Book Your First Tour: Step-by-Step Guide
- Complete Guide to Making Money as a Musician in 2026
- Fox Theatre Atlanta - Another historic American theatre venue with a similar capacity and programming mix
- Beacon Theatre - A comparable historic theatre venue in New York City
- Wiltern Theatre - Another restored historic theatre used for concerts, in Los Angeles
- Paramount Theatre - Seattle Theatre Group
