South Dallas’ historic Forest Theater is putting its newly restored rooftop to work Friday night, less than two weeks after the landmark reopened following years of efforts to bring it back to life.
The theater will host the first installment of its Beats Under the Stars series at 8 p.m. Friday, November 13, giving visitors another reason to return to a neighborhood landmark that once welcomed some of America’s biggest musical acts.
The reopening also marks a milestone for a redevelopment project that received Dallas City Council approval for up to $8 million in municipal funding exactly two years ago.
An estimated 2,500 people attended the November 1 Grand Return celebration near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and S.M. Wright Freeway, according to a Forest Theater announcement. The festivities included performances from Dallas-area Grammy winners Erykah Badu and Tamela Mann and culminated in the illumination of the theater’s tower and marquee for the first time in more than 50 years.
“Tonight, together, we make history,” Elizabeth Wattley, president and CEO of the nonprofit Forest Forward, told attendees at the celebration, according to the theater’s release.
The venue originally opened in 1949 as a movie theater and later welcomed performers such as B.B. King, Prince, Gladys Knight, and Ike and Tina Turner.
Now, the expanded complex offers a concert hall with room for 1,000 people, a 200-seat black box theater, a 13,000-square-foot arts education facility, and studios for recording music and podcasts.
As The Dallas Express previously detailed, Dallas City Council supported the project on November 13, 2024. The council authorized a conditional grant of up to $8 million to reimburse eligible construction and infrastructure expenses, drawing $7 million from the Infrastructure Investment Fund and $1 million from the Public Private Partnership Fund.
The agreement requires documentation of qualifying expenses and ties the final installment to the theater obtaining its final certificate of occupancy.
Forest Forward’s plans extend beyond restoring the building. The nonprofit aims to use the venue to create educational, artistic, and economic opportunities for South Dallas residents.
Friday’s rooftop event will feature DJ music, with food and specialty cocktails available for purchase. A second installment takes place November 27 at 8 p.m.
Residents can find ticket information through the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Forest Theater occupies the campus at 1920 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The theater’s remaining November schedule includes venue tours on November 17 and 24 and a music video film festival on November 21.
