Forest Theater Reopens in South Dallas

Hundreds of people gathered in South Dallas on November 1 to celebrate the Forest Theater’s return. The event included live music, food trucks and vendors, and ended with the lighting of the theater’s tower and marquee. Erykah Badu, who once owned the venue, performed a surprise closing set alongside local and gospel artists.

The theater first opened in 1949 and became a cultural landmark, welcoming entertainers such as Prince, Tina Turner and Gladys Knight. It shut down in 2008 and remained unused until recent restoration work. The renovated campus now features a main performance venue, an intimate stage for flexible productions and a center for arts education.

Forest Forward CEO Elizabeth Wattley said the project was intended to honor South Dallas rather than change its identity. “It’s about investing in who we’ve always been,” she told the crowd. Arts and culture commissioner Dr. Teresa L. Jackson praised the theater’s return, while board chair Matrice Ellis-Kirk urged the community to welcome it back. Senator Royce West called for the venue to remain a valued community institution.