Palladium Times Square

1515 Broadway,
New York, NY 10036

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Palladium Times Square (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Loews, Loews Cineplex, Sony Theatres

Architects: David Rockwell

Functions: Concerts, Live Performances

Previous Names: Loews Astor Plaza Theatre, Nokia Theatre Times Square, Best Buy Theatre, Playstation Theater, RadTheater

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 212.496.7490

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News About This Theater

Palladium Times Square

New York’s Loews Astor Plaza housed one of the largest screens in the city and originally opened with 1,440 seats.

Opened on June 26, 1974 in Times Square (just west of Broadway), this enormous single screen theatre was actually built entirely underground, three stories beneath the Minskoff Theatre. Moviegoers entered the theatre from an entrance on 44th Street, taking an especially long escalator down to the theatre and concession area.

Astor Plaza Theatre was known as THE place to see event films (like “Star Wars” or “The Matrix”). Because of its large size, the Astor Plaza Theatre drew large, opening night crowds–crowds who really knew how to enjoy a movie.

The Astor Plaza Theatre was home to a number of box office hits; including “Superman”, the remake of “King Kong”, and “When Harry Met Sally”. As a tribute to this fact, the theatre’s escalator was lined with posters of its most successful films. The Astor Plaza Theatre was closed on August 1, 2004 with Sigourney Weaver in “The Village”.

It was converted to the plans of architect David Rockwell into a 2,100-seat concert venue, the Nokia Theatre Times Square, which opened in October 2005. In September 2010, it was renamed Best Buy Theater and in November 2015 it was renamed PlayStation Theater. It was closed in late-2019. It reopened in spring of 2020 as the RadTheater. By August 2021 it had been renamed Palladium Times Square.

Contributed by Cinema Treasures

Recent comments (view all 573 comments)

UsherDNA
UsherDNA on August 31, 2021 at 1:08 am

Recently checked in to this theater, I believe it is now going by the Palladium Theater.

michaelkaplan
michaelkaplan on October 1, 2021 at 7:59 am

I saw “Superman: The Movie” in its initial run in this theater in 1978. It was the first time I had heard a surround sound system (THX?) in a movie theater. The room was not memorable, but the sound and projection were impeccable.

vindanpar
vindanpar on October 1, 2021 at 12:14 pm

It was a giant bunker getting the best films while great Times Square theaters like the Rivoli and Criterion were rotting. I didn’t understand it at all.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on October 2, 2021 at 8:38 pm

I really like the new name

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on October 16, 2021 at 7:44 am

Glad to see a name without corporate sponsorship shoehorned in!! And it’s a name that has a fair amount of history in NYC. I believe the original Palladium Ballroom was located in the Times Square area.

01261967
01261967 on July 14, 2022 at 2:18 pm

I saw U2: RATTLE & HUM here in late ‘88 with my friend George, who, sadly, committed suicide just a few months later. We both lived in Nassau County, and he liked to go into “the city” to see films.

Syraflix
Syraflix on July 21, 2022 at 1:56 pm

I saw “The Empire Strikes Back” and probably “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” there. If you were into science fiction special effects spectaculars, Loews Astor Plaza was one of the few theaters in the city that had 70mm and a Dolby Stereo sound system.

m00se1111
m00se1111 on August 22, 2022 at 11:51 am

wrestling fans can get a look at this venue as it hosts New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Rumble on 44th Street" 10/28.

Tickets were priced at $39.50, $49.50, $69.50, $79.50, $99.50, $149.50, $199.50, $249.50, $349.50, and $499.50 for VIP Box seating with food service. There are very few tickets on sale for Rumble on 44th Street at this point, mostly from re-sellers who are charging upwards of $1,000 per seat.

https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/129869

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on April 21, 2023 at 10:38 pm

POSTED an ad of Platoon in the photos section, it was one of the last major exclusive engagements to play their in December 1986, the only time I went their when the place had almost 1500 people

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