Rent the Derry Opera House for your next event!

Located at 29 West Broadway in downtown Derry NH, the Derry Opera House is a classic New England small town opera house, i.e. a Vaudeville-era theater. It is owned by the town of Derry and managed by the Greater Derry Arts Council.

The Opera House is located in the Adams Memorial Building which is on the National Register of Historic Places.  The building was constructed in 1904, and substantially re-constructed after a major fire in 1914.  It has also undergone many renovations over the years.

The Opera House is available for rental to recognized organizations, e.g. not-for-profit corporations, businesses or schools, or to responsible individual adults of legal age in New Hampshire.  It is required that the renter executes a legally binding rental contract.

Here are some features of the Opera House:

  • Contains a medium size stage, and a horseshoe-shaped balcony.
  • The entire facility is air conditioned.
  • Located on the second floor of the building and handicapped accessible via an elevator.
  • There are handicap accessible bathroom facilities located on the first floor and lower level.
  • There is a cast and crew only bathroom accessed from back stage.
  • The electric service is adequate for even large scale productions.
  • There is an enclosed back-stair for access from the first floor green room to the stage area.
  • There two good size dressing rooms, adjacent to the green room, on the first floor.
  • There is not a sunken orchestra pit.
  • The facility is painted in a fashionable Edwardian color scheme, with a polished maple floor.
  • Flexible seating accommodates a wide variety of events.
  • The acoustics are outstanding,
  • Free, municipal parking is available within a short walk.
  • The Opera House is easily accessible from Exit 4 of I-93.  Directions

STEP 1 – See what days the Opera House is available for rent.
Booking for the 2024 Calendar Year is now open. We are current accepting bookings through 12/31/2024. 

Derry Opera House Booking Calendar <- Click here to view the dates the Derry Opera House is available for rental. This is different from the Events page which only shows performance dates. Final confirmation of availability of dates and booking status will communicated to you from our office staff.

GDAC Conference Room Booking Calendar <- Click here to view the dates the GDAC Conference Room is available for rental. This is different from the Events page which only shows requested marketing dates. Final confirmation of availability of dates and booking status will communicated to you from our office staff.

STEP 2 – Review our Rental Rates.

The Opera House rental rates are set periodically by our Board of Trustees. We believe our rates to be highly competitive in the Southern NH area, based on the characteristics of our facility and equipment, and on our costs of operation.  Our goal is to provide an affordable venue for arts events in Downtown Derry, serving the Greater Derry area.

Click here for our current rental rates.(Please Note Updated Rates as of March 1st, 2023)

If you have questions about our rates, we can be reached via email by clicking here or by calling 603-404-2928 and leaving a message.  We are an all volunteer organization and do not have set office hours. Most business is conducted in the late afternoon and early evenings. We will get back to you as soon as possible, usually within a week so please be patient.

STEP 3 – Requirements

Please read and understand the following requirements prior to submitting a rental request:

  1. This is a nicely restored, historic facility, and we expect it to be treated with appropriate care and respect. There are General Terms and Conditions to which you will be required to adhere.  You will be required to pay for any damage or unreasonable wear and tear.
  2. There is no paid staff at the Opera House; we are all volunteers.  You will need to provide a clean-up crew, as well as any required set-up crew.  We keep rental rates low, in part, by requiring each renter to keep the building clean and tidy, both for your own event patrons, and to leave it clean for the next use.  You will forfeit your cleaning deposit if you do not clean the facility appropriately.  Please review the Renters Cleaning Checklist for additional details.
  3. We require 20% of the total rental amount as a non-refundable rental deposit to hold your dates.  Until this payment is made, your booking is tentative, and subject to re-booking to other groups.
  4. We require a refundable cleaning and security deposit.
  5. The balance of all required payments must be received in our office three weeks prior to the first day of the rental, to allow time for our Treasurer to deposit the funds and for any checks to clear through the banking system.  Any payments not received by this deadline must be by cash, bank check, or similar guaranteed form of payment.
  6. You will be required to retain the services of certified production staff, certified by the Arts Council for working in the Opera House. This requirement addresses the issues of safe and expert use of production equipment and facilities and certain provisions of the State of NH Fire Code.  You are responsible for “signing-up” the needed staff for your production or event.  Click here for Certified Production Staff Job Descriptions.  Workshops, in-service training opportunities, and in-service performance evaluation leading to certification are available, sometimes with significant lead times.  Other local groups may have certified production staff that would be willing to work on your event.  See below for a listing of currently approved production staff
    1. Certified Tech Staff: Click Here
    2. Certified House Managers: Click Here
  7. You will be required to submit a certificate of insurance coverage for property damage and bodily injury, in the amount of $1,000,000 or more.  If this is a substantial problem, and you feel that you have means to mitigate any liability risks at your event, please inquire of our office staff about the possibility of a waiver from our Board of Trustees. The Opera House is a public building, owned by the Town of Derry.  As such, any consumption of alcohol on the premises requires special permission from the Arts Council and the Town of Derry.  Forms are available, upon inquiry.  In addition to local approval, you may need a license from the state, and you will be required to provide specific liquor liability insurance coverage.  The approval process has a significant lead time.

The following links contain technical information regarding the Opera House:

  • Technical Specifications <- Click here to view the equipment that is available in the Opera House.
  • Floor Plan <- Click here to view a JPEG graphics format drawing of the entire Opera House level.
  • Seating Plan <- Click here to view the seating plan.

For questions regarding the regarding the sound equipment, lighting equipment or technical specifications of the building, please click here.

You can email any other general questions by clicking here or by calling 603-404-2928 and leaving a message.

Remember that we are all volunteers so please be patient.  We will get back to you as soon as possible, usually within a day or two.

STEP 4 – Fill out a Rental Application

If you have read and understand all the requirements listed above, then you are now ready to submit a Rental Request!

Derry Opera House Rental Application Form <- Click here to open the online request form.  Please note, that this form is not your Rental Contract.  Your contract will be emailed to the email you provide in your application. Contracts are signed digitally through Docusign. 

GDAC Conference Room Rental Application Form <- Click here to open the online request form.  

Thank you for considering the Derry Opera House for your next event.  We hope to see you soon!

  • Email: Click here
  • USPS-mail: 29 West Broadway, Derry, NH, 03038-6514
  • Telephone: 603-404-2928