The deCoste is the premiere, professional performing arts venue in Northeastern Nova Scotia located on the beautiful Pictou waterfront. The 400 seat facility features a state-of-the-art sound, video and lighting system. Flexible, non-fixed, seating makes it also a great location for conferences, meetings, special events, weddings and so much more.
The deCoste celebrates 40 years in 2022, having presented over to 3,500 performances. The highlight reel includes many international headliners, incredible artists from every corner of Canada, Atlantic Canada’s finest talent and countless local and regional music, theatre, and dance productions.
While many rural theatres across Canada have seen decreasing sales and attendance, the deCoste has enjoyed steady growth for nearly a decade. This hasn't happened by accident. The deCoste board and staff have worked hard to grow activity and diversify the mix of shows and events at the Centre. Patrons regularly travel from Antigonish, Colchester and even Halifax Counties to attend shows and events.
The people of Pictou County are proud of the deCoste and they celebrate this by supporting the centre and attending events. The corporate community has rallied behind the deCoste in its growth campaign and invested in new programs and series. They have helped to restart a classical music series, increase professional touring theatre productions and bring in more youth-focused programming. In 2017, the deCoste became a year-round venue with the launch of the Winter Blast Festival.
In 2023 the deCoste will be expanded from 13,000 to 23,000 square feet and completely renovated and updated, inside and out. The centrepiece of the enhanced facility will be a large, modern, new public library, expanded event space, professional art exhibition spaces and meeting and office space that will be made available to other community and arts organizations. The deCoste has been a community hub for 40 years, and this project will expand the scope of activities of both the library and the performing arts centre. The new/updated building will be one of Nova Scotia's most unique rural-cultural facilities, when completed in 2023.
As it has been since the centre opened in 1982, you the community are the most important elements in our success. When you buy a ticket and attend a show, or choose to place your event here, a win-win-win chain reaction happens. We win, you win and the community wins by having more activity downtown and on the waterfront.
The deCoste Performing Arts Centre is N.S. registered not-for-profit society and federal charitable organization.
