Plot twist: the renovated Auckland theatre is becoming TWO separate venues.
Back in December, Steve Bielby had a problem. He was looking over plans to renovate the St James Theatre, his long-mothballed Auckland city music venue finally receiving a controversial $31.5 million makeover. The backstage area needed a new fire exit, and the only way to create one was to remove much of the dirt underneath the building. That meant three new retaining walls and a concrete structure. “Imagine how expensive it is to build a tunnel,” Bielby said.
Almost as a joke, Bielby’s geotechnical engineer suggested it would be easier to excavate the entire area. The removal of 2,000 cubic metres of soil would create a cavernous new space with almost the same footprint as the St James’ main floor. Bielby chewed it over, made a mind picture, then had a eureka moment: the new space would make a perfect basement music venue. “Let’s just make it its own thing,” he thought.
It’s true and it’s happening: the St James renovation now includes an entirely separate second venue. That means the main floor that everyone remembers, with its stone statues, hand-painted ceilings, seated levels up into “the gods” and room for 2,400 people. It also means a new basement venue with its own entrance, bar and toilets, with room for 1,200 people. (Sadly, it’s not being called Lil’ Jim – Bielby’s nicknamed it The Odeon after a demolished part of the old complex.)
Bielby sat on this news for the past four months while mapping out all-new plans for the historic Queen Street theatre. During a recent private tour, he was finally able to reveal his secret. He was buzzing, barely bothering to say hi before information began spilling out of him. “New scaffolding has gone up … we’re 40% of the way through this wall.” He led the way into the space where a bar will be built. “When you do the numbers, it’s more cost-effective and easier … it’s a no-brainer.”
Right now, it doesn’t look like much. Mud is caked up the walls. A properly ancient brick wall is full of holes. The musty smell of a dank, decrepit bathroom wafts through the space. Soon, earthmovers will arrive to begin excavating all that dirt to create a dancefloor. Bielby acted like he was on one, barely able to stand still. He can only see potential. “You can have two shows on [at the same time],” he said. “Electronic acts down here … upstairs it’s a band space.”
That’s great news for the country’s ever-decreasing number of live music venues. In Auckland, the Logan Campbell Centre, The Kings Arms and Golden Dawn are distant memories and Galatos was recently listed for sale, its future uncertain. In the past 12 months, Wellington has lost Underworld Tavern, Christchurch’s Flux has closed and Hamilton’s Nivara Lounge has shut up shop. Many venues that remain open are hampered by noise complaints.
Yet we are in the middle of an unprecedented live music boom. The next few months are usually the quietest of the year, but in 2026 they’re rammed with tours, big and small. So, the opening of one new venue would be welcome – two is an absolute godsend. Before that happens, so much work needs to be done. Bielby is working towards a 2028 deadline, which would mark the St James’ 100th anniversary. Soon, public consultation will begin to ask how it should operate, and what kind of shows it should host.
This is another twist in a rollercoaster five years. In 2021, as red tape enveloped the St James, Bielby seemed ready to give up. In 2022, he wondered if it was time to “let it go”. That same year, thieves broke in and spent days in the building, stealing copper fittings and priceless statues. Then, in 2024, after the government committed to $15 million in funding, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown threw a spanner in the works, suggesting Auckland Council might pull its $15 million commitment. Bielby was forlorn. “It sits as it is, or we do something with it.”
Visit today and you’ll encounter a very different Bielby. He seems properly chuffed. “We’ve got progress!” he yelled across the site at one point. He was right: men with clipboards signed off on scaffolding, while others surveyed cladding work. Crucial foundation work is under way, and Bielby expects the basement excavation to begin soon. Damaged parts of the hand-painted ceiling are being repaired, and the stolen statues have been replaced: one sits proudly on its plinth, glowing lights making her flame flicker. “We fired that up last week,” said Bielby.
There is light at the end of the tunnel – and another stroke of good fortune. Recently, Bielby received a message from someone who claimed to have found a crucial piece of the St James’ past: a huge light fixture that used to illuminate the building’s foyer. He’d purchased it for $50 at a market in Pūhoi, then gifted it to Bielby free of charge. To confirm its origins, Bielby found a photo of it in place from the 1920s. “It sits over the grand staircase,” he said. Right now, it’s sitting on his desk, and, like the rest of his building, is waiting to be restored.
