Aberdeen urgently requires a mid-scale theatre venue in order to complement the existing large and small scale facilities available in the City. The new mid-scale venue will provide a home for the unique local culture of the area plus touring drama, dance and comedy productions that currently cannot perform in Aberdeen due to the lack of a suitable sized financially viable venue.

The Aberdeen Tivoli Theatre Trust was set up in 1999 following a meeting attended by representatives of the major music, theatre and arts companies currently operating in Aberdeen. An initial Steering Group investigated and thoroughly discussed the best means to establish a mid-scale theatrical venue in Aberdeen.

The Steering Group came to the conclusion that the Tivoli Theatre with its excellent historic auditorium, acoustics and location, could be refurbished and extended to provide a cutting edge mid-scale theatrical venue for Aberdeen. The new Tivoli would be in effect a new build attached to the historic auditorium.