British Columbia

Former Vancouver porn theatre becomes concert venue

For over thirty years, 2321 Main Street was home to a pornographic film theatre. Last year, the Fox Cinema closed down for good. Tonight, a swanky live music venue called the "Fox Cabaret" opens up for the first time. The CBC got a sneak peek.

After renovations and 'a lot of cleaning,' the Fox Cinema on Main Street transforms into a cabaret

Vancouver's Fox Theatre in Mount Pleasant was a porn theatre for three decades. (CBC)

For over thirty years, the Fox Cinema was infamous for being an adult film theatre.

It opened in 1983 and closed last year, but today it finds new life as the Fox Cabaret — a live music venue.

"It's squeaky clean," says Danny Fazio, one of the people behind the reincarnation of the Fox. 

The Fox Cinema finds new life as the Fox Cabaret, but the old marquee sign didn't make the cut. (CBC)

Fazio, who also helped revamp the now-closed Waldorf Hotel as part of the Waldorf Productions team, says getting the theatre into tip-top shape was not an easy task. 

Major renovations were done to the theatre, which used to have over 200 seats. Fazio says the seats were "ripped apart," and his team had to remove stains that were all over the walls.

"We did a lot of cleaning," he said. "We put in a lot of elbow grease into making sure it's beautiful and pristine after all the illicit behaviour that happened here."

There is now a balcony upstairs for concert viewing, and plans to build a bar are also underway.

Members of the public can get a first look of the almost-finished Fox Cabaret tonight, at an event at the PuSH Festival