Opened in August 1962 as the Johannesburg Civic Theatre, funded partly by money originally earmarked for a Union of South Africa anniversary celebration Johannesburg had been excluded from hosting, the venue operated as whites-only under apartheid law before undergoing a major renovation, reportedly around R120 million, between 1987 and 1992. It was rebranded Joburg Theatre in 2009 and now houses four separate theatres, its main auditorium, the Nelson Mandela Theatre, seating just over 1,000 people and reportedly the only theatre in the world named after Mandela. The complex also includes dance studios with public viewing windows and a sculpture titled ‘The Playmakers,’ and it remains one of Johannesburg’s flagship venues for musicals, ballet, opera and large-scale productions.