History & Timeline

The historic Savoy Theatre first opened its doors in 1927. For the first few decades it operated as a vaudeville house and hosted many of the world’s finest entertainers, such as Sammy Davis Jr. and W.C. Fields. The Savoy was also the go-to location for boxing matches and other large-scale spectacles. In the 1950’s a theatre group called Famous Players took the reigns and turned the theatre into a cinema for the masses. By the 1970’s the Town of Glace Bay took on the daunting task of refurbishing the building, and, in 1976, the Savoy re-opened and was dubbed “Cape Breton’s Entertainment Show Place”.

Now, after 95 years, the Savoy stands out as one of the oldest and most venerated performance venues in Eastern Canada. Its stage has been graced by the likes of Rita MacNeil, The Barenaked Ladies, k.d. lang, Mr. Dressup, Sarah McLaughlan, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Blue Rodeo, Leona Boyd, Harry Chapin, Ashley MacIssac, Melissa Etheridge, Leonard Cohen, and hundreds of others.