A Revolutionary Theatre at the Heart of the New MGM Resort

Located on China’s southern coast, the Cotai Strip has grown explosively over the last decade and has overtaken the Macau Peninsula as the most popular gaming hub. In terms of entertainment offerings, however, it still lags behind other major destinations like Las Vegas. Newly opened in January, the MGM resort seeks to change this. In addition to its 1600 hotel rooms, 2500 slot machines, and up to 500 gaming tables, it features a dynamic theatre designed to attract a large variety of visitors. The CEO’s vision for this unique theatre was extremely bold: to showcase, whatever technology it takes, the most innovative stage, the greatest video experience and the most flexible parterre space in terms of seating configurations.

Designed by Scéno Plus, a world-leading performance arts and entertainment design firm, the MGM 2000-seat theatre is indeed an engineering and architectural marvel. It includes a never-before-seen giant 900-square-meter 4K (ultra HD) LED screen and the best solution in venue transformation technology by GALA Systems, the world’s largest manufacturer of under-stage equipment. During the theatre’s planning phase, the CEO and MGM design team agreed that offering different entertainment and business options would be the best way to ensure its success within the resort. A Gala Venue® flooring and Seating System  was chosen to give the theatre this required diversity, while always delivering prime sightlines for every guest and a permanent feel like that found in a fixed auditorium. The seats chosen by MGM and coordinated with Gala Systems  were supplied by Poltrona Frau, one of the most esteemed Italian furniture makers.

This automated Gala solution  allows seats to be deployed or stored under the floor when they are not in use.  The theatre can easily transform itself from a raked seating layout to a flat floor space, with any number of sub-configurations in between. Custom space arrangements can be achieved for special events, ranging from traditional concert, fashion show or movie premiere layouts, to a 360-degree configuration for talk shows, product launches and international DJ performances. Moreover, using computer-controlled presets, the Gala Venue Seating System  will allow quick and simple overnight or midday changeovers, within 15 minutes at a push of a button. The MGM team even foresees that a performance featuring the ballet movements of the automated equipment within the theatre will also become a highlight of this flexible theatre. 

The venue also holds a large central double-deck lift that travels at 0.2m/sec. This movable central stage-lift and several seating platforms surrounding the stage-lift can also be used in a high-speed mode during performances to create impressive scenic effects. 

The new MGM theatre which is able to change size and shape quickly and easily will bring innovative attractions to the same location and transform the entertainment experience, to the delight of guests. A series of small special events as well as large world-class shows are already planned to cater to various types of patrons visiting Macau, helping the peninsula continue to gain in popularity.