EVENTS
in Newport Beach

Lido Marina/ Cannery Village

Lido Theater Open House

Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/05/2024
11:00 am - 8:00 pm

The Lido Theater is back!

The highly anticipated opening of the iconic Lido Theater in Newport Beach, on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 11am to 8pm, with tours, a DJ, movies (playing on silent), food, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and culminating with Newport Beach natives Sugar Ray taking the stage for a live performance.

One of Southern California’s oldest single-screen theaters, The Lido originally opened in 1939 and is reopening after a meticulous five-year restoration project by owner Fritz Duda Company. The theater now represents the best of modern entertainment venues and classic Art Deco design reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Movie producer, director and Newport Beach native Joseph McGinty “McG” Nichol and his company River Jetty Restaurant Group (RJRG), the new operator of The Lido Theater, will welcome the community to the beautiful venue. McG was friends and high school classmates with the original members of Sugar Ray and produced their early hits and music videos.

5:30 p.m: Ribbon cutting with McG, RJRG partner and Newport Beach native Jordan Otterbein, Mayor Pro Tem Joe Stapleton, and city council members

Noah Blom, Robyn Grant and Erik Weigand. Mayor Pro Tem Joe Stapleton as well as California State Representative Diane Dixon will be on hand to give special recognitions to Fritz Duda Company for its restoration of this landmark theater.

7:00 p.m: Sugar Ray performance

About the Renovations

Fritz Duda Company has spent the last five years meticulously restoring The Lido Theater to its original 1939 Art Deco design. McG and his River Jetty Restaurant Group are taking over operations of the theater. This marks an exciting evolution in entertainment as there aren’t many single-screen theaters remaining in Southern California, and The Lido Theater will now offer a broad array of programming.

The iconic Lido theater was one of Orange County’s earliest movie houses when it opened in 1939. The beautiful single-screen theater brought the Golden Age of Hollywood to Newport Beach with its Art Deco design that showcased the splendor of how movies were made to be enjoyed.

The renovation of the landmark theater, which closed for the project in Fall of 2019, was prolonged due to the pandemic and the meticulous work required to add air conditioning and heating without affecting the structure and interior of the building. The Lido also has a new, state-of-the-art digital projection and sound system, a new exterior color palette, new seating, lighting, and carpet reminiscent of Hollywood’s Golden era, as well as a larger stage framed by a new red velvet waterfall curtain. The exterior color palette was uncovered as the original shade of the stucco when the theater was built.

The original box office, marquee, movie poster cases, lobby, concession stand, and restrooms have been restored, and new men’s and family/ADA restrooms were built. Real brass and copper finishes were also added, as well as cream-colored paint with subtle silver sparkles that can be seen in the lobby and staircase.

The Catalina-style tile, revered at the time for its colorful hand-painted beauty, has been restored and can be seen in the lobby and restrooms. The Lido’s auditorium walls were also refreshed, with its murals depicting underwater ocean scenes that appear to glow from black lights illuminating the walls when the house lights dim. The classic balcony also remains a unique feature not found in modern theaters.

In addition to the renovations Fritz Duda Company has made to the theater, McG noted he will also bring in 35mm film projectors to show classic movies and will occasionally show double features.