The Civic Auditorium, one of the major structures in the Pasadena Civic Center District, was built in 1931 and is best known for being the home for the Emmy Awards from 1977 until 1997. It was designed by architects George Edwin Bergstrom, Cyril Bennett, and Fitch Haskell.[5] It is the former home of the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra. It has also been used for some episodes of American Idol. It was used as the show's venue for "Hollywood Week" in seasons 1, 3 and 10. The 3,029-seat theater hosts musicals, operas and concerts, among other events, on its 56 by 42ft (17 by 13m) stage.
The venue's theatre organ was acquired in 1979, having been commissioned from American firm M. P. Möller in 1938 as a touring organ by Englishman Reginald Foort, who attended its Pasadena inauguration on April 23, 1980.[6] It had been used by the BBC during and after World War II.[6]
In addition to the main auditorium, the Civic Auditorium building originally contained two lecture rooms and an exhibition hall of 100 by 200ft (30 by 61m).[7]
The auditorium was famously the site of some of the earliest live performances of Van Halen before being discovered.
The annual NAACP Image Awards have been held at the Auditorium numerous times, including at least (earlier records are incomplete) 1992–2000, 2014–2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025, excluding 1995 (no awards presented), 2021 and 2022 (virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
The auditorium has also been used for the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant. The preliminary and final competitions were broadcast live on NBC.
The auditorium hosts the annual Pasadena Unified School District graduation ceremonies for Blair High School, John Marshall Fundamental Secondary School, John Muir High School and Pasadena High School, which takes place after the Memorial Day holiday, since 2000.
Exhibition Building
The Exhibition Building, adjacent to the west side of the Auditorium, features 50,000sqft (4,650m2) of exhibit space and can seat up to 4,400 for various events. Adjacent to the Exhibition Building is a 15,000sqft (1,400m2) annex seating up to 600 patrons.
The building holds large corporate events, conventions (such as CatCon), along with trade shows.[10]
Conference Building
The Conference Building, adjacent to the south side of the Auditorium, has 17 meeting rooms totaling 28,000sqft (2,600m2).
Gallery
Inside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium
The theatre's Moller organ
Handpainted walls inside the auditorium
Handpainted curtain inside the auditorium
Pasadena Convention Center, while hosting Monsterpalooza in 2025
Notable Events
FanFan, On the Road to Happiness world tour - January 26, 2018
