The Triangle's largest stage for Broadway tours
The Durham Performing Arts Center, known almost everywhere as DPAC, is a city-owned theater of about 2,700 seats at 123 Vivian Street in downtown Durham, beside the American Tobacco Campus and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. It presents more than 200 performances a year: touring Broadway musicals, concerts, comedy, family shows and the summer American Dance Festival series. It was the largest performing arts center in the Carolinas when it opened in 2008.
The answer most visitors want: DPAC has three levels, and its own guest surveys rate the middle one, the Grand Tier, as the best overall experience. It sits one floor above the orchestra, close to the stage, with a steeper rake (the slope of the seating) that keeps heads out of your way. The orchestra is the choice when you want to be as close as possible; the balcony is the budget level.
How DPAC's three levels are numbered
The figures here come from DPAC's own seating chart page. Sections are numbered 1 through 10 from the orchestra up, which makes a ticket easy to read: the section number alone tells you the level.
Orchestra: sections 1–4
The ground floor holds more than half of the building's seats in about 30 rows on a gradual incline. The front row is roughly 6 feet from the stage and the back of the orchestra about 100 feet away.
Grand Tier: sections 5–7
One level up, the Grand Tier has nine rows between about 85 and 110 feet from the stage, with a steeper slope than the orchestra.
Balcony: sections 8–10
The top level has 15 rows, about 85 to 145 feet from the stage, with the steepest incline.
Public elevators are in the lobbies beside sections 4, 7 and 10, one for each level; lines form before and after shows.
Best seats at DPAC for musicals, concerts and comedy
Broadway tours
The center of the Grand Tier is the best all-around seat for a large musical: the whole stage, the choreography and the lighting in one view, with no one's head in your line of sight. In the orchestra, the middle rows of the center sections are the pick. The first few rows are thrilling for faces but force you to look up, and the back rows of the orchestra are as far from the stage as the front of the Grand Tier.
Concerts
For a seated concert, the center orchestra is where the sound is best balanced and the artist feels closest. If the show stands up early, the Grand Tier's slope helps you see over the crowd.
Comedy
Closeness matters more than the full-stage view, so orchestra seats, even on the sides, beat the Grand Tier.
Seats to think twice about
- Far side seats in the front orchestra rows: a sharp angle to the stage.
- Top rows of the Balcony: up to about 145 feet away; fine for a concert, distant for a play.
- Back of the orchestra when Grand Tier seats are available: similar distance, flatter view.
DPAC parking decks and getting there
DPAC has no parking of its own; three nearby decks serve it. As of 2026, DPAC lists:
- American Tobacco East Deck (250 South Mangum Street): the closest, a three- to four-minute walk, with more than 600 spaces. It often sells out 45 to 60 minutes before showtime. Credit cards only.
- American Tobacco North Deck (305 West Pettigrew Street): more than 1,700 spaces, a five- to seven-minute walk. DPAC runs a courtesy shuttle from it every ten minutes for guests with limited mobility.
- 555 Mangum Street deck: 812 spaces, about a five-minute walk.
DPAC no longer recommends the Corcoran Street or Church Street garages because exiting them after a show takes too long. The American Tobacco Campus right next door is the obvious place to eat before a show, with dozens of restaurants and bars within walking distance.
DPAC bag policy, doors and age rules
As of 2026, DPAC prohibits bags larger than 12 by 12 by 10.25 inches and all backpacks, and it strongly recommends a small clutch. Parenting bags are allowed with a child present. Every bag is inspected. Check the current policy before you go.
- Doors: for Broadway, lobby doors open 60 minutes before the show and seating doors 30 minutes before; for concerts and comedy, both open 60 minutes before.
- Age: every guest needs a ticket. Children under 6 are generally not admitted except at family shows, children under 13 must be with a parent or guardian, and teens under 16 need a chaperone.
- Re-entry: varies by event; ask a supervisor at the doors.
- Concessions: cashless, with a limit of two alcoholic drinks per purchase.
- Cameras: cameras, tablets and GoPros are banned at all events; phone photo rules vary by show.
DPAC's A to Z guide has the current rules.
How DPAC came to be
DPAC was built as part of Capitol Broadcasting Company's redevelopment of downtown Durham around the restored American Tobacco warehouses. It cost about 48 million dollars, with the city borrowing most of it and Duke University contributing 7.5 million dollars. Szostak Design of Chapel Hill was the architect, and the theater is operated for the city by the Nederlander Organization and Professional Facilities Management under a deal that requires at least 100 performances a year.
B.B. King played opening night on November 30, 2008. DPAC passed 3 million visitors in August 2016, and Pollstar has ranked it among the busiest theaters in the country: in 2011 it was first among U.S. theaters with fewer than 4,000 seats. Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Chris Rock and Ellen DeGeneres have all played the room.
Frequently asked questions
How many seats does DPAC have?
About 2,700. Wikipedia lists 2,712, and more than half of them are on the orchestra level.
What are the best seats at DPAC?
DPAC's guest surveys rate the Grand Tier (sections 5–7) as the best overall experience. For closeness, choose the middle rows of the center orchestra.
What is the DPAC bag policy?
As of 2026, bags larger than 12 by 12 by 10.25 inches and all backpacks are prohibited, and a small clutch is recommended. Check the current policy before you go.
Where should I park for DPAC?
The American Tobacco East Deck is closest but often fills 45 to 60 minutes before the show. The American Tobacco North Deck and the 555 Mangum Street deck are a five-minute walk.
Can young children attend shows at DPAC?
Children under 6 are generally not admitted except at family shows, and every guest, whatever their age, needs a ticket.
Is the Balcony at DPAC too far away?
The Balcony runs from about 85 to 145 feet from the stage. Its front rows are fine for most shows; the top rows feel distant for plays.