JACKSONVILLE, FL (February 19, 2024) – The Florida Theatre has issued its annual report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023. Fiscal 2023 was a monumental year of shows and renovation in which many long-term efforts finally came to fruition.
In January, the Florida Theatre opened the Remedy Lounge, a new VIP room for members, by repurposing an unused suite of offices; and in July, the Florida Theatre closed for four months of renovations that included restoring the decorative plaster and paint in the Theatre’s interior; remodeling all of the public restrooms; replacing the HVAC plant; and moving the building’s electrical vault from the first to the third floor to mitigate the flood risk.
But when your mission is to provide diverse and memorable arts and entertainment experiences while preserving a unique historic Jacksonville landmark – the show must go on! Thus, the Florida Theatre presented 117 mainstage performances, and 28 arts education performances for schools in the Theatreworks program, and brought 41 other arts education performances directly to schools during the 2023 season. See the list here.
Some of the event highlights included:
- Presenting a date on Kenny Loggins’ farewell tour.
- Co-promoting performances by local companies including Jacksonville Dance Theatre and Florida Ballet, helping to ease their financial burden of staging a show.
- Creating synergy between mainstage programming and arts education programming with artists including Step Afrika! and Terrance Simien performing evening performances for the public, and daytime performances tailored specifically for schools.
- Working with Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, WJCT Public Media, and Downtown Vision to bring performances to PVCH, the WJCT Soundstage, and Jax River Jams.
In addition, the Florida Theatre was recognized for the following in 2023:
- The concert industry magazine Pollstar ranked the Florida Theatre’s attendance in the Top 5 for theatres nationwide under 2,000 seats, and #63 overall for theatres of all sizes.
- The Florida Theatre received a Theatre of the Year award nomination from the Academy of Country Music.
- The Remedy Lounge at the Florida Theatre earned general contractor, Auld and White, an Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction Award.
In fiscal 2023, the Florida Theatre welcomed audience members from all 50 of the United States, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and foreign locations including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, England, Estonia, France, Netherlands, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru and Scotland.
165,532 people attended an event at the Florida Theatre from September 2022 to October 2023:
- 48% were from Duval County
- 16% were from St. Johns County
- 7% were from Clay County
- 4% were from Nassau County
- 1% were from Baker County
- 13% were from elsewhere in Florida
- 6% were from Georgia
- 5% were from other national and international locations.
The economic impact of the Florida Theatre in 2023 represented:
- $15 million in total economic impact
- $11.5 million in household income
- $787,000 in state government taxes and fees
- $659,000 in local government taxes and fees
- 471 in full-time equivalent jobs.
The 2023 income by source at the Florida Theatre was:
- 53% comes from admissions
- 18% comes from city and state support
- 13% comes from individual support
- 8% comes from concessions
- 6% comes from other earned income
- 2% comes from fundraising events
The Florida Theatre has raised and spent $17 million over the last four years to improve the historic Florida Theatre. The Florida Theatre is grateful for the support of the donors to the Centennial Campaign; the City of Jacksonville, the administrations of Mayor Deegan and former Mayor Curry, and the City Council for matching the funds raised; and the ticket buyers who have paid a restoration fee when purchasing their tickets.
Donations and sponsorships from individual, institutional, and business members of the Florida Theatre, who made a gift between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023, helped to close the budget gap and preserve the Florida Theatre as the cultural anchor of downtown Jacksonville.
Please reference the 2023 annual report here for more details on how the Florida Theatre as a nonprofit corporation serves the community.
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About the Florida Theatre
The mission of the Florida Theatre as a nonprofit organization is to enhance the North Florida community’s quality of life by providing diverse and memorable arts and entertainment experiences, and by preserving a unique historic Jacksonville landmark. There is something for everyone at the Florida Theatre. From pop, jazz, rock, comedy, country, and blues to ballet, the historic Florida Theatre offers over 150 cultural and entertainment events annually for every taste and age. For tickets or to learn more about the educational performances for schools, rentals, membership, or the nonprofit corporation that manages the Florida Theatre, please visit www.floridatheatre.com.
About Community First Credit Union of Florida
Community First Credit Union of Florida, named Florida’s 2022 Credit Union of the Year by the LSCU, is a state-chartered credit union based in Jacksonville serving anyone who lives or works on the First Coast. Community First is one of the largest credit unions in Florida with $2.7 billion in assets and serving 173,000 members. Community First has 21 locations and more than 450 employees. A not-for-profit, Community First is a full-service financial institution offering banking, loans, mortgages, and investments for consumers and businesses across the First Coast. To learn more, visit https://www.communityfirstfl.org/.