Whether your theater is home to children's plays, dance performances, operas, or Broadway-esque showcases, you'll need a captivating website that provides audiences with important information about upcoming shows, along with an easy-to-use ticketing system complemented by engaging visuals.
Creating an immersive online experience to represent your theater has never been easier with our theater AI website builder, which will design an impactful site and deliver it, along with content and images, in under a minute.
Zarla checks that sites meet basic web standards for mobile and desktop. We also use Google's PageSpeed Insights, and WAVE, a service that evaluates accessibility for individuals with disabilities. PageSpeed scores and accessibility are important factors for search engine rankings. PageSpeed scores may not match user experience and can vary substantially.
London, England, U.K.
Bridge Theatre is a commercial theater home to a variety of shows, ranging from classic plays to interactive experiences. The website made a bold impression with large, impactful advertisements for the theater's upcoming shows dominating the home page. I particularly liked the top menu bar's setup and how well it blends with the website's minimalistic page layouts.
The site has a polished appearance with lots of informative content regarding the theater's history, upcoming performances, and membership options. However, I do think it is missing some key elements, such as additional blog posts with industry-specific news or performer interviews, to effectively drive enhanced reader interest.
I liked that the website features an "Accessibility" page with info about captioned and audio-described performances happening at the theater, as well as physical access to shows and facilities for people with disabilities. On WAVE, several important pages, such as the home page and the "About" section, have no contrast errors.
I think the website's accessibility options should be moved from the "Accessibility" page to the home page for easier readability. I also would have preferred if the theater's contact details were displayed prominently in the top menu bar rather than in the footer menu.
While I liked the desktop website's refined appearance, the footer menu's light color distracted from the rest of the site's dark theme. I found it easy to choose and book tickets with the site's online system, and I particularly enjoyed watching the videos and perusing the image galleries of the theater's upcoming performances.
That being said, I think the addition of industry-specific news and resources would have piqued my interest and motivated me to stay on the website longer. On Google's PageSpeed Insights test, the site's home page was awarded a performance score of 75/100, along with a score of 92/100 for its SEO practices.
The mobile website retains a condensed and polished appearance that I found to be quite impactful on the smaller screen. I liked the addition of a back-to-top button to cut down on unnecessary scrolling, and it was refreshing to see that all videos played without fault on mobile.
However, like with the desktop version, it would have been nice if the theater's contact details were easily accessible in the top menu bar. Performance-wise, our real-world tests indicated reasonable page loading times, which is reflected in the home page's PageSpeed Insights performance score of 65/100.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Quest Theatre is a touring theater company that produces a variety of shows for young audiences across Alberta, Canada. I liked the website's colorful imagery and how it conveys the company's affinity for whimsy and fun. The use of large headings, engaging CTA buttons, and clean page layouts made navigation all that more easy.
I enjoyed perusing the website's ample page links and there's lots of interesting content covering the company's history, along with its drama classes, school programs, and current productions. While the events calendar and user-generated reviews caught my eye, I do think the website would benefit from more interactive content, such as videos, to drive user engagement.
I liked how well the website's images, as well as its color and typography choices, align with the company's mission to engage young audiences. I also appreciated the addition of the company's social media feed and how it effectively advertises their services without overwhelming readers.
I would have liked if the "Donate" CTA button in the top menu bar was larger than the other page links to create a more balanced look. The addition of video content would have been a great touch for enhanced visual interest. WAVE picked up a large number of contrast errors on the home page, as well as on the "Calendar" and "Contact Us" pages.
The desktop website features large headings and easily readable content that, in my opinion, contribute to a good user experience. I also liked the intuitive menu structure and it was easy to find specific information, such as the company's contact details and additional resources. However, I would have liked it if the website had some sort of online booking or inquiry form available for users wanting to learn more about specific programs or events.
On Google's PageSpeed Insights test, the website's home page received a performance score of 48/100. However, our real-world tests indicated a more pleasant user experience with fast page loading times.
While the mobile site functions well and features clean, well-spaced page layouts, the home page's hero image is obscured by a large textbox, which is slightly distracting. I liked the wealth of information available on the home page, but I think some sections could be displayed as a snippet to avoid excessive scrolling. The site's home page had a PageSpeed Insights score of 31/100 in the performance category.
https://www.thelondoncabaretclub.com/
London, England, U.K.
The London Cabaret Club is an entertainment space that hosts theater-inspired cabaret performances alongside dining experiences. I enjoyed the website's theme of luxury and sophistication and how it mirrors the high-end nature of the club. The home page's hero video was fun to watch and gave me a great overview of what to expect at a performance.
While I liked the website's tasteful appearance and well-organized pages with lots of interesting content to peruse, some of its images displayed as pixelated, which I think distracts from the site's overall appeal.
I enjoyed reading about the history of the club on the site's "Our Story" page, and I think the video content under the "Shows" category does a great job of advertising the club's variety of performances. A standout feature for me was the online messaging tool.
I think the photo gallery on the site's "Our Story" page would be more impactful if the images were not pixelated. Several important sections, such as the home page, have a large number of contrast errors on WAVE.
While the desktop website's video content and interesting copy kept me engaged, I think some minor improvements can be made to increase the site's usability, such as the use of more high-quality images, as well as higher contrast ratios between the text and the background of several pages. On Google's PageSpeed Insights test, the home page was awarded an optimal performance score of 90/100.
I enjoyed the mobile website's functionality and how well the hero video translates on the smaller screen. I also liked the addition of various contact options in the bottom-right corner, and the back-to-top button was a helpful tool.
However, several page sections on the home page get cut off on mobile and I think the site would benefit from a different layout with additional spacing to ensure a more comfortable browsing experience. The site's home page received a performance score of 40/100 on Google's PageSpeed Insights test, likely due to slow page loading times.
New York, New York, U.S.
The Metropolitan Opera is a well-known opera company that offers a variety of live and livestreamed performances, including classic works and contemporary pieces. At first glance, the website has a refined appearance that's complemented by the use of high-quality images advertising upcoming performances.
What I liked most about the site was its minimalistic page layouts and sparse top menu bar, which allow the impactful images and content to shine. I also liked the prominent "Calendar" CTA button and its facilitation of a smooth online booking experience. Other notable features for me included the Met Opera mobile app and its online messaging tool.
I liked perusing the website's variety of pages, particularly the "Season" category with information on upcoming events, how to purchase tickets, and livestreaming options. WAVE picked up few contrast errors on the home page and several other page sections, indicating good usability.
I think some of the website's more engaging content, such as behind-the-scenes videos and podcasts, should be advertised prominently on the home page, thereby enticing visitors to explore the site. I also think the search icon should be added to the top menu bar so it's more easily reachable.
On desktop, the website's ample spacing and large content blocks look great and make it easy to navigate, contributing to a good user experience. However, I do think lots of compelling sections, such as theater accessibility options and artist bios, are too hidden and should be displayed more prominently, perhaps through CTA buttons or footer menu links. On Google's PageSpeed Insights test, the site's home page had a performance score of 75/100.
I liked the mobile site's tasteful appeal with high-resolution images and spacious content sections that felt easy to navigate. That being said, I do think the company name in the top menu bar could be displayed slightly larger so it does not blend in as much with the hamburger menu and the CTA button. The website's home page received a performance score of 31/100 on Google's PageSpeed Insights test, but our real-world experience was more intuitive with fast page loading times.
https://blackswantheatre.com.au/
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Black Swan State Theatre Company is Western Australia’s flagship theater company that offers various local performances. The website stood out to me for its unique layout — it features a left-side menu bar, overly large headings and typography, and an engaging home page hero video showcasing the casts of upcoming performances.
I enjoyed reading up on the company's mission and vision, as well as watching the introductory video on the home page expanding on its new season of theater. I also liked the addition of a downloadable brochure for visitors wanting more information on specific performances.
I found it easy to navigate the website's various pages, of which I appreciated the "Accessibility" section expanding on the theater's audio descriptions and tactile tours. I also liked the FAQs section for clarity on ticketing issues and theater work experience options. On WAVE, the home page has few contrast errors.
I did not find much to dislike about this website, but one improvement that could be made is the spacing of the FAQs section — I think the questions should be displayed horizontally rather than vertically. According to accessScan, the website is only semi-compliant with assistive technologies.
The desktop website has a dynamic and well-organized appearance that made it easy for me to access pertinent information and enjoy its engaging video content. I liked the unique look of the side menu bar, but I do think the addition of a "Booking" CTA button would be helpful to funnel users to the events calendar. The site's home page scored 74/100 for its performance on Google's PageSpeed Insights test.
On mobile, the website features a top-right hamburger menu with all page links easily accessible. I liked that the home page's hero video plays without fault and all images remain refined, although some on-page elements, such as the brochure, take a long time to load on mobile. Performance-wise, the site's pages load reasonably fast and its home page was awarded a performance score of 68/100 on Google's PageSpeed Insights test.
The best theater website examples typically feature lots of visual content, such as large images and videos, to effectively promote upcoming performances and entice customers to purchase tickets. It's also important to make pertinent information, such as event dates, ticket purchasing processes, and theater accessibility options easily available. The best theater website examples we found include Bridge Theatre and The Metropolitan Opera.
You can use Zarla’s AI website builder to create and design a standout theater website example and update it free of charge for up to 30 days. Payment is only required once the website goes live.
