First Time Guests

Our first priority is to ensure that you have an excellent experience with us. Use our first-time guest guide below to learn all about OPAC before your visit. Remember, we are here to help. If you have any questions regarding an upcoming visit, please call our Box Office team at 256-241-3322.

We're here to help!

Above all, we hope you enjoy your experience at OPAC, and please know that we are here to help. If you have a question or need assistance of any kind, please just ask a member of our staff. We believe in great entertainment experiences, and we want to be our guests’ favorite place for live events.

There is no dress code.

While going to OPAC is certainly a special occasion, there is no required dress code. You’ll probably be most comfortable in casual business attire, but you’ll often see people in jeans, khakis, and other more less formal wear. Some people enjoy dressing up and making a special night of it, and you can too, but most of all, we want our guests to be comfortable. We would ask you to politely consider other guests’ possible allergic reactions when applying fragrances like perfumes or colognes, as OPAC is a closed area with many people in close proximity to each other.

Come Early. Don't be late.

It’s the #1 complaint we hear from our veteran guests. Late-arriving guests can truly dampen the magic and the mood that is created when the lights go down and a performance starts. We recommend planning your travel so that you arrive in downtown Oxford no later than 30-40 minutes before show time. You should then budget about five minutes to park and walk to the theater. There is nothing worse than having to rush to the theater, and then arrive just as the doors close for the start of the show.

Our lobby doors open 60 minutes prior to show time; seating areas open 30 minutes prior to show time for Broadway shows, and 30-60 minutes prior to show time for concerts, comedy and other events. With the schedule we recommend above, you’ll arrive with plenty of time to find your seat, get settled, or enjoy a pre-show drink or a light snack. Also, if you’re late, you may end up listening to the beginning of the show from the lobby.

Most shows require that our ushers hold late arrivals in the lobby until a suitable pause in the program. The timing of allowing late arrivals into the seating area is determined by the show and designed to cause as little disruption as possible to other guests and the performers on stage.

Snacks & Refreshments

We invite you to enjoy drinks and light snacks before the show in the main lobby. Our lobby concessionaire features soft drinks, bottled water, and a full selection of theatre candy. Please note that our menu is much more snack-oriented than meal-oriented. For recommended pre-show dining options including quick-serve restaurants just minutes from our doors, please visit here.

Temperatures

Temperature management in a large three-story high, open room filled with 1,130 guests, all with varying perceptions of comfort is a complex challenge. Our temperature settings call for discharge air of between 67 and 70 degrees. By having air of that temperature enter the room, it mixes with the heat from body temperatures and the heat from the theatrical lighting, with the end goal being to achieve a temperature of 69 to 73 degrees.

This range can be affected by many factors including closeness of the air vents, the air pressure of the system, the number of guests at the event and the amount of humidity in the air coming into the system. In analyzing our guest survey feedback, about 6% of guests tell us that temperatures are the #1 thing we could improve at OPAC. Of that 6%, about half said temperatures were too warm and the other half said temperatures were too cool.

As you can see from this survey data, meeting everyone’s sense of the perfect temperature is a complicated part of managing a large public assembly building like OPAC since perceptions of warm and cold can vary greatly and be affected by the age and gender of each guest.

Our recommendation is to dress comfortably for being in a large crowd, and if you are susceptible to cold, just bring a sweatshirt, light jacket or sweater just in case. We wish the temperature could be perfect (and adjustable) in each and every one of our 1,100 seats, but that technology just does not exist yet.

Show Length

Most concerts usually last 90 to 120 minutes whereas Broadway shows often are 2.5 to 3 hours in length.  Most events will have an intermission at which time you will find concessions and restrooms in the lobby.   

Restrooms

OPAC has twice the number of restrooms as required by code; but for our most popular performances, lines do form, so please plan accordingly. 

Big & Tall?

For taller guests looking for more legroom, OPAC recommends seats in the Balcony, Section 400 or 500, Row A or C. Seats in this aisle offer several inches of added leg room. For more information on these seating options please contact our Box Office at 256-241-3322.

Content Advisory / Parental Discretion

OPAC offers a diverse selection of entertainment. Not all productions may appeal to or be appropriate for every guest or for all ages. Ticket buyers should take responsibility for making informed decisions regarding their purchases. If you ever have questions about the content or appropriateness of a show, please contact us at info@oxfordpac.org.