Chichester Festival Theatre

Theatre in West Sussex, England Chichester Festival TheatreThe Festival Theatre in March 2010.Chichester Festival TheatreLocation of the Festival Theatre within ChichesterAddressOaklands ParkChichester, West SussexEnglandCoordinates50°50′35″N 0°46′39″W / 50.843048°N 0.777390°W / 50.843048; -0.777390CapacityFestival Theatre: 1206Minerva Theatre: 283Public transitChichester railway stationConstructionOpened1962 (1962)ArchitectsPhilip Powell and Hidalgo MoyaWebsitewww.cft.org.ukListed Building – Grade II*Official nameChichester Festival TheatreDesignated12 June 1998Reference no.1323693 Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. The smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989. A third venue, The Nest, a 120-seat studio space for work by emerging artists, opened in July 2025. The inaugural artistic director was Sir Laurence Olivier, and it was at Chichester that the first National Theatre company was formed. Chichester's productions woul