The revamped Hollywood Theatre offers an eclectic mix of music, comedy and drag that’s a world away from the Granville Strip.is an events venue. But it’s also a retort to anyone who’s ever dared to call this city a bore. On any given night of the week, you’ll find fans lined up down the block to see their favourite artist coming through town, or stepping through the art deco entryway to make new friends on the dance floor.
A restoration of West Broadway’s historic 1935 art deco cinema, the theatre opened in the thick of COVID. Not a great time to be in the events business, but the industrious team slogged through, and today they regularly pack the room with Vancouver’s party people. The booking team is also committed to giving the best dates and times to local talent. “The most exciting thing is taking a chance on someone,” says Sulyma. “We just know good people bring good people.” Rookie producers have a chance to experiment here in a way they might not at a Live Nation- dominated venue downtown. An example close to home: one of the Hollywood’s bussers, Seb, makes his own music, so Sulyma invited him to start his own night.
His list of go-to promoters today includes kids who used to sneak onto his underground party guest lists—club kids, drag queens, alt friends, all grown up and ready to create their own scenes.