"The situation was further complicated by the non-renewal of the lease for our theatrical home of 25 years due to planned renovations by Seaside," The REP Theatre said on July 31, 2025, when it announced it would close after its final summer performances that August. The company also named the departure of key artistic leaders and rising operating costs. With all of that happening at once, finding a new venue that it could afford and new leadership was more than it could manage.
This is Seaside's second fall since then, and the town's stage has clearly changed. Most live performance now happens outdoors, at the Seaside Amphitheater or in Central Square, on a schedule that follows the daylight. That changes when a show starts, what can cancel it, and how an evening in town is put together.
The Room That Went Quiet
The REP's statement is still the only public detail about the renovation. It says Seaside planned work on the building and gives no timeline. We found no public announcement that construction has started or finished, no new tenant, and no reopening date. That is an open question, not proof that nothing has happened. Seaside's online directory still has a page for The Repertory Theatre that links to the company's website, but that page is out of date.
We also found no reports of a successor company formed by former REP staff, either in Seaside or elsewhere on 30A. When the closure was announced, 30A.com reported emotional responses online and in person from community members, artists, and longtime fans. One supporter, Michael Henry, wrote that "the echoes of your creativity and care will continue to resonate throughout Seaside and beyond."
What the Amphitheater Took On
A repertory company is built around a fixed room, a season, and paid tickets. What Seaside runs now is built around a lawn and a weekly routine. Seaside's 2025 year-end recap counted the year's events:
- 275 hosted events
- 87 live music performances across seasons
- 51 Central Square Cinema screenings
- 39 children's theatre performances
- 52 weeks of Farmers Markets
- 2 performances by Ballet Pensacola
Those totals cover the whole year, so they include months when The REP was still performing. Still, they show how much of the town's culture already ran outdoors, and that outdoor programming carried on after August. In fall 2025, Sounds of Seaside brought Boukou Groove on September 10, Fred Domulot on October 8 and November 5, and Roman Street on November 19. Ballet Pensacola performed a free Nutcracker Act II at the Amphitheater on November 23, 2025. Sinfonia Gulf Coast's free Holiday Pops concert was scheduled there for December 6.
The closest thing to a winter theatre season was outdoors too. Starting November 30, 2025, Emerald Coast Theatre Company staged a 45-minute A Christmas Carol in front of the Seaside Post Office.
Showtimes Follow the Sunset
The Christmas Carol listing also shows what an outdoor stage gives up. The December 18 performance was canceled because of weather. An indoor theatre doesn't lose a night to rain. A lawn does, so anyone planning a December evening around a show should check the listing that afternoon.
Start times this fall show the same pattern. In October, Sounds of Seaside runs 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. In November, the series moves an hour earlier to 4 to 6 p.m. Emerald Coast Theatre Company's free children's show also starts at 5 p.m. Ballet Pensacola's Nutcracker runs 5 to 7 p.m. So most of the town's performances end around dinnertime. Central Square Cinema is the main evening event, at 7 p.m. on Fridays. Seaside's fall guide suggests picking up dinner or a sweet treat from a local merchant and bringing a blanket or lawn chair.
The Fall Calendar, in Order
Seaside's posted schedule from now through the end of the year:
- Saturdays, through October 17, 5 p.m.: Emerald Coast Theatre Company's free Dragons Love Tacos at the Amphitheater, with seven performers. October 10 and October 17 are the last two Saturdays.
- Wednesdays in October, 5 to 7 p.m.: Sounds of Seaside with Roman Street on October 7, Max McCann on October 14, an act still to be announced on October 21, and BOUKOU GROOVE on October 28.
- Monday, October 12, 10 a.m. to noon: Colombia & Company's first-anniversary event in the SEASIDE® Pop-Up District. Details are still to come.
- Saturday, October 24: The Annual Halloweener Derby & Dog Costume Contest in Central Square. The costume contest opens the day and the dachshund race follows. The event page lists 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., but the August fall guide said 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., so confirm the time before heading over.
- Saturday, October 31, 4 to 7 p.m.: Halloween in Seaside, with a "Golden Ticket" pure-imagination theme.
- Wednesdays in November, 4 to 6 p.m.: Sounds of Seaside with Max McCann on November 4, Flow Tribe on November 11, Roman Street on November 18, and BOUKOU GROOVE on November 25.
- November 5 to 8: The Seeing Red Wine Festival, including the Battle of the Somms and Grand Tasting on November 7 and the Celebration of Bubbles brunch on November 8.
- Sunday, November 22, 5 to 7 p.m.: Ballet Pensacola's free The Nutcracker Act II at the Amphitheater.
- Saturday, November 28, 3 to 8 p.m.: The SEASIDE® Holiday Parade & Turn on the Town.
- December 5 and 6: The SEASIDE® Holiday Market in Central Square, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
- December 12 through 20, 4 to 6 p.m.: Free Photos with Santa in the Christmas Village.
- Thursday, December 31, 4 to 9 p.m.: New Year's Eve, with live music, family activities, and fireworks over the Gulf.
Two weekly events run underneath all of this. The Seaside Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Amphitheater, and December dates include the 5th, 12th, and 19th. Central Square Cinema runs Fridays at 7 p.m. On December 5, the market and the first day of the Holiday Market fall on the same morning.
Last December's Christmas Carol and Holiday Pops do not have 2026 dates in the listings we reviewed as of early October. Both were part of the 2025 holiday season, so watch for announcements.
The Indoor Rooms Still in Use
Indoor performance hasn't disappeared from Seaside. It has become occasional. Emerald Coast Theatre Company held a five-day Seaside summer camp at Seaside Assembly Hall from June 22 to 26, 2026, and the camp's final performances took place at the Lyceum. The listing does not say whether Assembly Hall is The REP's former theatre, and it does not suggest a permanent tenancy.
Seeing Red works the same way in November. Seaside's fall guide says the festival takes place "throughout Central Square and other venues around town." It includes Grand and Reserve Tastings, intimate dinners, and wine competitions. For four days, the town's restaurants and rooms serve as the indoor venues, and then the calendar moves back to the lawn.
Where to Eat Around Showtime
Because most shows end early in the evening, dinner tends to come before or after the performance. Airstream Row added Wild Nectar on May 17, 2026, a juice bar and coastal kitchen serving fresh-pressed juice, bowls, salads, and sandwiches. It works well for a 5 p.m. children's show or an early lawn concert. The Daytrader Tiki Bar & Restaurant was selected for the 2026 Michelin Guide, which makes it a sit-down option for a Wednesday after Sounds of Seaside.
The Seaside Institute's next major event comes after this season. It will honor Janette Sadik-Khan with the 2027 Seaside Prize at a celebration February 5 to 7, 2027, and registration opened October 1, 2026.
The Seaside Town Council's calendar for this month lists an owner social on October 16, the annual membership meeting on October 17, and the board's organizational meeting on October 18. As of early October, no public notice gives a timeline or plan for the Meeting Hall.
At 850 Properties, we follow Seaside's calendar the same way we follow its sales, one week at a time. If you're weighing what town life looks like through the off-season, whether you own here now or are thinking about it, we'd be glad to talk it through. Explore Communities.
