Located at 160 South Coast Highway just 15 miles from Rivian’s Irvine headquarters, Rivian South Coast Theater will be the company’s 11th space opening this year and third in California, joining sites in Venice Beach and one opening soon in Pasadena. The theater will be the company’s largest retail location at over 11,000 square feet, serving as a welcome center to the brand in an area that it calls home.
“It’s an honor for Rivian to be part of the Laguna Beach community as steward of the South Coast Theater in its next era,” said Tony Caravano, Senior Director of Experiential Marketing and Community Engagement at Rivian. “The site has been a beacon of innovation, community and creativity throughout its history, and Rivian is ready to carry that legacy forward. We’re excited to deepen our connections with owners, fans and friends while making new ones as people get to know Rivian through our products, programming and experiences we have planned.”
Rivian purchased the theater with a vision of creating a welcoming, one-of-a-kind automotive retail experience. First opened in 1935 as the New Lynn Theater, Rivian South Coast Theater underwent a multiyear, site-sensitive restoration to preserve much of the structure’s original exterior, interior features and character, creating an unexpected location that brings together the past, present and future. Original site features that have been preserved and restored include the marquee, ticket booth, lobby area, balcony, auditorium, proscenium arch and original 129-seat theater area. After working closely with preservationists and community leaders throughout the restoration, Rivian submitted the site for historic designation, resulting in the theater’s addition to the National Register of Historic Places in March 2023.
In keeping with the site’s original intent, Rivian South Coast Theater will continue to screen films through a partnership with the Laguna Beach-based non-profit Coast Film Foundation known for its annual Coast Film & Music Festival. Dedicated to spotlighting exceptional independent films that inspire positive change through the art of storytelling, Coast Film Foundation will support the theater’s programming, content curation and operations, working in collaboration with Rivian to select films that align with Rivian’s mission to Keep the World Adventurous Forever.
The theater reflects Rivian’s intentional approach to its retail spaces that peels away the formality that can be associated with automotive retail, inviting visitors into a casual, family-friendly environment. Rivian’s flagship products, the all-electric R1T pickup and R1S SUV, will be displayed in the center of the theater where guests can get up close and inside. An expanded selection of brand merchandise, goods by local artisans and an exclusive offering from a collaboration with Orange County-based Almond Surfboards will be available at the theater’s Gear Shop.
Equator Coffees takes residence in the theater’s on-site café, its first location in Orange County. The women-founded and owned wholesale coffee roaster, retail café operator, and coffee farm owner from Marin, California, was founded on the principle that coffee can be a force for good and will offer sustainably and ethically sourced coffee, pastries and café menu items to visitors.
Opening weekend activities and film screenings are open to the public and include family art workshops hosted by Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD). Some events are ticketed and require reservation. For more details on events and programming at Rivian South Coast Theater, visit https://rivian.com/spaces/laguna.
*Retail vehicle sales and marketing activity will depend on state and local regulations for each location.