Booking Policy

The Pantages Theater, Rialto Theater, and Theater on the Square (collectively Tacoma City Theaters or TCT) are regional multi-purpose theaters owned by the City of Tacoma and operated by a contracted Theater Manager. The Theater Manager administers day‑to‑day booking and operations. The City of Tacoma’s “Tacoma Venues & Events (TVE)” division reviews exceptions and policy variances with City Manager approval for any material deviations from published policies.

Both the City of Tacoma and Theater Manager are committed to operating the Theaters according to policies, which will:

• Ensure theater usage is active and diverse, attracting top quality entertainment clients, events and performances to serve as an economic catalyst and cultural hub for the Theater District and downtown Tacoma.
• Provide performing arts venues that are accessible for use by Resident Arts Organizations, Cultural Non-Profit Organizations, and the community.
• Ensure the financial stability and sustainability of the Theaters.
• Maintain and preserve these significant historical and cultural resources for the City of Tacoma and Tacoma’s community members.
• Support programs from local community arts groups and educational institutions to build community engagement and diversity of future audiences.
• Actively maintain a dedication and commitment to access, opportunity, and belonging for all in accordance with Tacoma City Council Resolution 40622.
• Make the Theaters accessible to as many producers as possible to maximize the number of days during which events are held and increase overall theater attendance.
• Contribute to the image of Tacoma as a cultural destination.

Presenters using the facility will be classified according to the following descriptions:

• RAO - Resident Arts Organizations as defined by the City of Tacoma’s RAO Policy, including Founding and non-founding RAOs.
• NPO – Community Non-Profit Organization as defined by the City of Tacoma’s Community NPO Policy.
• Promoter – Third-party presenters or event producers who do not qualify for RAO or NPO status.
• Manager – The Tacoma City Theaters Manager.

 RAOs and NPOs will be certified as to their classification based on their respective City of Tacoma policy. 

Resident Arts Organizations will have access to dates in each calendar year in advance of other users. Tentative date holds may be placed according to the following schedule:

First Booking Window – RAO Presenters
RAOs may begin placing calendar holds during each year’s priority booking window and respective call for dates in alignment with the City of Tacoma’s RAO Policy.
All dates requested during the first booking window will be initially considered as 2nd holds along with any other RAO date requests until the booking window closes (i.e. holds are not considered “first come, first served”).

Once the first booking window closes, RAO event date requests with no conflicts may be moved to 1st hold status. RAO rehearsal and load-in/out date requests will remain as 2nd holds and the Theater Manager retains the right to shift such holds one day earlier or later or to move a rehearsal hold to an alternate theater.

Any conflicts between RAO requested dates will be settled in accordance with the processes outlined below in Section IV before moving any request into 1st hold status.
During the First Booking Window, holds may be challenged by other RAOs, but no other presenters

Second Booking Window – All Presenters
Dates may be placed on hold by RAOs, NPOs, Promoters, and Manager at any time within the eighteen (18) months preceding the start of the applicable season (a Season is defined as July 1 through June 30).

Holds placed within the second booking window will be based on availability and subject to a first-come, first-served policy in cascading prioritization order (i.e. first hold, second hold, third hold, etc.)

During the Second Booking Window, holds may be challenged by any presenter regardless of whether they were placed during the first or second booking windows.

Other Booking Requirements
Notwithstanding the above windows, the Theater Manager may place additional holds at any time at their discretion and in accordance with the challenge policy. Such additional holds include, but are not limited to, events with significant economic or cultural impact to the City of Tacoma or capital improvement or maintenance requirements for any theater space.

Hold Confirmation/Release Deadline
All holds should be confirmed or released no later than Sixteen (16) weeks prior to the first date of the hold. Holds not confirmed or released by the presenter may be released in the Theater Manager’s sole discretion with two (2) business days’ notice to the presenter.

Confirmation and contracting timelines for RAOs and NPOs are detailed in their respective policies and should be followed in conjunction with this Booking Policy. For example, RAO confirmation and contracting timelines (including 18-month advance confirmation and 30-day contract return) are detailed in the Resident Arts Organization Policy.

Event Categorization

This list may be updated in conjunction with industry standard classifications as provided in applicable industry trade publications.

Any holds that do not include an artist name or the genre of event type will be placed no higher than a second hold and may be cleared in the Theater Manager’s sole discretion with notice to the holding entity.

Date Conflicts Among Resident Arts Organizations in the Priority Booking Window:
After each of the initial RAO call for dates has closed, any conflicts in dates requested by Resident Arts Organizations will be settled in accordance with the below process.

1. Representatives from RAO’s with conflicting dates will meet jointly with the Theater Manager’s booking representative to discuss the conflict and attempt to find alternate dates or production schedules and requirements that will permit all RAO’s to move forward with their performances. Each resolution will be considered a one-time solution without setting precedent for future potential conflicts.
2. Should the RAO representatives be unable to come to a mutually agreeable resolution, the below ranking system may be used to determine booking priority for the date:

• Priority 1 – Events holding the same days of the week in the same month (e.g., the first weekend in September) as the same Event conducted in at least three (3) of the past five (5) years.
•  Priority 2 – Events with eight (8) or more total performances over two (2) consecutive weeks.
• Priority 3 – Events with four (4) or more total performances over one (1) consecutive weeks.
• Priority 4 – Events with at least one (1) total performance.

This policy shall be reviewed with all RAOs during the 2026-27 season for potential updates.

3. Should a conflict still exist within a specific Priority classification after step two, the Theater Manager may use best judgment when awarding the date priority based on goals stated in Section I of this Booking Policy.

Date Conflicts Outside the Priority Booking Window
Any date conflicts that occur in the second booking window may be subject to the standard challenge procedure as outlined below.
 

The Theater Manager will endeavor to ensure a diverse array of programming in the Tacoma City Theaters in alignment with the Booking Priorities stated above.

Should the Theater Manager identify a potential content conflict with a confirmed and contracted RAO event, the Theater Manager will first attempt to negotiate a mutually agreeable solution between the two presenters. Should the presenters be unable to come to a solution the Theater Manager will award the priority utilizing the following guidelines and best judgment based on the Booking Priorities.

1. Each Resident Arts Organization has priority for presenting their specific genre of content within the. Tacoma City Theaters in alignment with the Protection Windows section of the City of Tacoma’s RAO Policy. An RAO who is designated within multiple genres of content will select a single genre of content for each specific show.
2.  An RAO may elect to waive a protection window and approve the other presenting event, but waiver for a single event/series will not constitute waiver for other future events.
3. The Theater Manager will contact the RAO prior to confirming a conflicting event. The RAO will have two (2) business days to respond and either waive the protection window or request that the protection window be upheld. If the RAO fails to respond within two (2) business days, the protection window will be deemed waived.

For any content conflict not involving an RAO, the Theater Manager may use best judgement to ensure the success of both events when awarding dates. No other formal protection window will be provided unless specified in a presenter’s individual event contract.

Non-confirmed dates held for non-contracted events may be challenged based on the booking windows as specified above.

In the event of a challenge, the holding presenter will be notified that a challenger has agreed to enter into a contract. The holding presenter will have two (2) business days to execute a contract with the required deposit, or the date(s) will be given to the challenging party.

Upon release/assignment of the dates, the challenging party will have two (2) business days to execute a contract for the named event and be responsible for the full deposit as outlined in the contract. If the challenging party does not execute a contract, the dates will be returned to the original holding party.

Deposit requirements for RAOs and NPOs are governed by their respective policies (Resident Arts Organization Policy and Community Non-Profit Organization Policy). Promoter deposit requirements are outlined in the facility usage agreement.

Notwithstanding the above classifications, any event may be challenged or cleared at any time for Theater usage by a blockbuster event engagement when it is in the best interests of the Theater and the City of Tacoma. Theater Manager will make request for clearance of such holds or events for review by Tacoma Venues & Events with final approval by the City of Tacoma’s City Manager’s Office. Should approval be granted, Theater manager will inform all affected parties as quickly as possible upon confirmation of the blockbuster event and will work diligently to reschedule all affected events with as minimal disruption as possible.

The purpose of this booking policy is to provide the management with general guidelines for the efficient operation of the venues. Nothing contained within those guidelines is intended to limit the Theater Manager’s discretion in the booking or negotiation of contracts that in the Theater Manager’s professional judgment would be in the best interest of the City of Tacoma and Performing Arts Venues. Any variations from this policy must be in alignment with the goals stated in Section I of this Booking Policy and the City of Tacoma’s Resident Arts Organization and Cultural Non-Profit Organization policies and must be reviewed and authorized by a designated City of Tacoma representative prior to adoption.

Please note that this policy generally applies to the Main Stages of the Pantages Theater, Rialto Theater, and Theater on the Square and does not, unless otherwise specifically agreed on a case-by-case basis, apply to the other spaces in each building, including, but not limited to, classrooms and studios.

This is a management policy and as such is subject to change. This policy may be reviewed bi-annually by the Theater Manager with recommended updates reviewed and authorized by a designated City of Tacoma representative prior to adoption.

This Booking Policy may be referenced in conjunction with the following Tacoma City Theater policies:

Resident Arts Organization Policy

Community Non-Profit Organization Policy

Tacoma City Theaters Box Office Policy